November 16th, 2012
05:00 PM ET
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Israel's Cabinet OKs activating up to 75,000 reservists

Israel's Cabinet on Friday approved the activation of up to 75,000 reservists given the conflict, said the spokesman for the prime minister.

Israel's military said earlier in the day that 30,000 troops are being mobilized for a possible move into Gaza.

Rockets landed near Israel's two most populous cities as fighting between Israel and Hamas militants persisted with no immediate end in sight.

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Filed under: Israel • Palestinians • World
Oil platform explodes in Gulf of Mexico
November 16th, 2012
04:36 PM ET
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Oil platform explodes in Gulf of Mexico

An oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico caught fire after an explosion Friday, sending 11 people to hospitals and leaving two missing, authorities said.

Nine others were airlifted off the platform, and a half-mile oil sheen stretched across an area roughly 20 miles off the coast of Grand Isle, Louisiana. About 28 gallons of fuel spilled into the region, according to Coast Guard Response Division Chief Ed Cubanski. The platform is used for production and not drilling.

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Filed under: U.S.
Petraeus talks ... behind closed doors
November 16th, 2012
10:25 AM ET
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Petraeus talks ... behind closed doors

Former CIA Director David Petraeus testified on Capitol Hill on Friday that the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was an act of terrorism committed by al Qaeda-linked militants.

Rep. Peter King told reporters that Petraeus made an opening statement that took about 20 minutes and then answered questions for about an hour and 10 minutes.

King was one of the Republican and Democratic members of the House and Senate intelligence committees who heard from Petraeus about the September 11 attack that left four American dead, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.

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Filed under: CIA • David Petraeus
Is it the end for Twinkies?
November 16th, 2012
10:14 AM ET
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Is it the end for Twinkies?

Twinkies may be going away, with their maker Hostess Foods announcing today that it's asking permission to shut down.

The legendary snack food favorite of many a childhood has spawned a Twinkie defense, a Twinkie diet and, as you'd expect, a trending topic on Twitter this morning.

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Filed under: Food
November 16th, 2012
08:17 AM ET
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Roadside mine kills civilians in western Afghanistan

Seventeen civilians were killed when a minibus carrying guests to a wedding party in western Afghanistan struck a roadside mine Friday, a provincial Afghan official said.

In a separate incident in eastern Afghanistan, two International Security Assistance Force members were killed in an "improvised explosive attack," according to a statement released by the ISAF.

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Filed under: Afghanistan • World
November 16th, 2012
05:16 AM ET
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Planned cease-fire fails as Egypt's prime minister visit Gaza

Explosions rumbled through Gaza all night into Friday, as Palestinian health officials reported an additional death in the conflict with Israel, bringing the total toll to 20.

The fighting left 235 wounded, Palestinian officials said, as Israeli officials reported no new deaths Friday, saying a total of three have died from rocket fire since fighting broke out.

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Japan's lower house of parliament is dissolved
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has been in office since September 2011.
November 16th, 2012
02:19 AM ET
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Japan's lower house of parliament is dissolved

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of Japan dissolved the lower house of the country's parliament on Friday, setting the stage for general elections next month.

The move was made so that Noda could get support from the main opposition Liberal Democrat Party (LDP) for key legislation that would keep the government funded.

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Filed under: World