Behind the closed doors of their offices in the United States, top executives and lawyers for Exxon Mobil are poring over two sets of contracts, weighing a decision that could shift the balance of power in Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki last week hastily convened a meeting with Exxon's chief executive Rex Tillerson in
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A Los Angeles official moved on Tuesday to crack down on so-called maternity hotels he said have sprung up across parts of Southern California as pregnant women travel to the United States in a growing "birthing tourism" trend. Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe asked colleagues to approve a series of steps designed to ultimately
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The euro hit its highest level in over a year on Wednesday and shares, oil and metals were also on the rise, as confidence in the global economic outlook strengthened ahead of European data and the U.S. Federal Reserve's latest policy decision. The Fed is expected to maintain asset buying at $85 billion a month
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A Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) delegation discussed developments in the German tourist market with the country`s main travel agents, during a visit to Frankfurt last week. According to a press release, an increase in tourism from Germany is expected this year and there are favourable prospects for the coming years. Furthermore, cooperation among the travel
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Foes of same-sex marriage are laboring to pay the tab for an epic legal case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, as the movement suffers from fundraising shortfalls that could sap its strength in future battles. ProtectMarriage.com, the advocacy group defending a California gay marriage ban now under review by the high court, showed a
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Since about 75 percent of healthcare spending in the United States is for largely preventable chronic illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, providing more preventive care should cut costs. If only. In a report released on Tuesday, the non-profit Trust for America's Health outlined a plan "to move from sick care to
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Microsoft Corp launched new Office software for home users on Tuesday, featuring constantly updated, online access to documents from all kinds of devices as the world's largest software company attempts to tailor its most profitable product to a mobile generation. The new Office suite of applications – including desktop staples Outlook email, Excel, Word and
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U.S. home prices rose in November, climbing more than five percent from a year ago in the biggest increase since August 2006 when the housing market was starting to collapse. Data on consumer confidence on Tuesday was less encouraging, with moods falling to their lowest level in more than a year as Americans became more
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Mario Balotelli, whose wacky antics have filled the British newspapers almost daily in the last two and a half years, is set to return to Italy with AC Milan after a deal was agreed with Manchester City on Tuesday. The Italy striker, a boyhood Milan fan, first broke through at rivals Inter Milan and is
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Royal Bank of Scotland Group saw 1.3 bln pounds ($2.1 bln) wiped off its value on Tuesday following a report that it could face criminal charges as part of an impending settlement over its role in a global interest rate rigging scandal. The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. authorities were pushing RBS to accept
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