Former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, the country’s first democratically elected leader, died yesterday in a Jakarta hospital following a long illness. He was 69.

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Abdurrahman Wahid, Indonesian President, Dies at 69 (Update1)

Li Nan has real estate fever. A 27- year-old steel trader at China Minmetals, a state-owned commodities company, Li lives with his parents in a cramped 700- square-foot apartment in west Beijing.

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China Property Bubble May Lead to U.S.-Style Real Estate Slump

Bart Simpson and the Sugar Bowl game could disappear from the TVs of Time Warner Cable subscribers in New York, Los Angeles and other markets in a bitter dispute over fees that the Fox television network is demanding. As a midnight Thursday deadline…

Time Warner Cable – Sugar Bowl – Fox Broadcasting Company – Cable television – Bart Simpson

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Football, `Simpsons’ at risk in Fox cable dispute

California’s first snow survey of the winter showed the Sierra snowpack below normal Wednesday despite a series of storms that has drenched much of the state and pleased ski resort operators. The state Department of Water Resources reported the findings from…

California – United States Department of State – United States – Snow – Water resources

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Sierra snow below average, despite Calif. storms

The government’s Christmas Eve pledge of unlimited financial aid to mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is aimed at making sure the housing market doesn’t take another turn for the worse and cause the economic recovery to unravel. This insurance policy…

FreddieMac – FannieMae – Christmas Eve – U.S. Housing Market – Christmas

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Fannie, Freddie proving too big to shrink

Consumer backlash and cost concerns may slow the introduction of “smart” utility meters at the heart of Uncle Sam’s $8 billion utility grid upgrade

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PG&E Faces Revolt Over Smart Grid

A nearly decade-long quest to build a multibillion-dollar natural gas pipeline in Canada’s north has cleared a major hurdle with the release of a years-overdue regulatory report Wednesday. The government-appointed panel examining the environmental and socio-…

Canada – Pipeline transport – Natural gas – Energy – Business

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Panel issues Mackenzie natural gas report

NEW YORK — Stocks ended the next-to-last day of 2009 little changed as welcome news on manufacturing helped offset a drop in commodities prices. The market drew support Wednesday from a key economic indicator that signaled growth in Midwest manufacturing…

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Markets eke out minor gains

REYKJAVIK (Reuters) – Iceland’s parliament approved an amended bill on Wednesday to repay more than $5 billion lost by savers in Britain and the Netherlands when the island’s banks collapsed during the financial crisis.

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Icelandic parliament approves repayment bill

Los Angeles County prosecutors say the grandson of the late Walt Disney has been charged with multiple counts of illegal gun possession and drug possession. Patrick Disney Miller initially was charged with one felony count of possession of ammunition by a…

Walt Disney – Movies – Arts – Studios – Walt Disney Pictures

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Walt Disney’s grandson faces additional charges

The Christmas Day attack on a jetliner over Detroit, combined with technological improvements to protect people’s sense of modesty, could lead to dramatically wider use of full-body scanners that can see through travelers’ clothing. Dutch officials said…

Christmas – Airline – Jet airliner – Holidays – Lead

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Airline attack could lead to more scanners

James Bellis is already in a bind. As an employer, he pays higher state unemployment taxes than many because he lays off about a dozen seasonal workers from his tree maintenance business every winter. But next year, he expects to…

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N.J. businesses’ unemployment taxes expected to skyrocket in next year

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says General Motors is recalling more than 22,000 Chevrolet Corvettes over problems with their removable roofs, which could separate from the vehicle. The recall, which was announced this month and begins in…

General Motors – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – Auto – Recreation – United States

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GM recalling some Corvettes over removable roof

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Debate Room: The FDIC vs. the Fed

REYKJAVIK (Reuters) – Iceland’s parliament approved on Wednesday an amended bill to repay more than $5 billion lost by savers in Britain and the Netherlands when the island’s banks collapsed.

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Icelandic parliament approves revised Icesave bill