Japan plans US$2.1b military spend in stimulus package: official

TOKYO: Japan plans to spend $2.1 billion on its military over the next few months as part of a huge stimulus package, a defence ministry official said Wednesday, amid growing concerns over a rising China.The cash is in addition to the regular military spending for 2012-13 and is separate from a boosted budget request for next fiscal year that ruling party policy makers called for on Tuesday."We...

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Stylus lets you 'touch' normal screens, except when it won't

The APEN Touch8 Smart Pen brings touch to non-touch screens -- when it works.(Credit:Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)LAS VEGAS--APEN's Touch8 Smart Pen is a soft-tip stylus that gives non-touch screen Windows 8 computers the power of touch. It's a great idea, but it can't quite leave its mark.The idea is clever. Instead of missing out on touch functionality on an otherwise high-end system that lacks a touch...

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Report: Iran's oil and gas revenues plummet 45 percent

TEHRAN, Iran Iran's revenues from vital oil and gas exports have dropped by 45 percent because of sanctions over its suspect nuclear program, a senior lawmaker said Monday, a clear admission that sanctions over Iran's suspect nuclear program are having a severe impact. Iran's sanctions-driven financial crisis has led to collapse of the currency, proposals for an austerity budget and government demands...

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Poisoned Lottery Winner's Body to Be Exhumed

The body of a $1 million lottery jackpot winner will likely be exhumed from Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago, according to the Cook County medical examiner, who determined that the winner died of cyanide poisoning.Last June Urooj Khan, 46, won $1 million in a scratch-off lottery game, or $425,000 after taxes, but he died unexpectedly on July 20. Since there were no signs of foul...

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Ex-governor in North Korea with Google chief; seeks American's release

SEOUL (Reuters) - Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt began a controversial private mission to North Korea on Monday that will include an effort to secure the release of an imprisoned American. The trip comes after North Korea carried out a long-range rocket test last month and as, according to satellite imagery, the reclusive state continues...

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NFL Playoffs: Seahawks beat Redskins 24-14

Marshawn Lynch #24 of the Seattle Seahawks scores a fourth quarter touchdown against the defense of Lorenzo Alexander #97 of the Washington Redskins during the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game at FedExField on January 6, 2013 in Landover, Maryland. / Al Bello/Getty Images LANDOVER, Md. The Seattle Seahawks finally won a road playoff game Sunday, taking a 24-14 NFC wild-card victory over the Washington...

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Hagel to Be Obama's Defense Secretary Nominee

Jan 6, 2013 4:52pm (Junko Kimura/Getty Images)WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Obama will nominate former senator Chuck Hagel to be his next Secretary of Defense tomorrow.Senior officials within the administration and Capitol Hill confirmed the pick to ABC News today after the Nebraska Republican had emerged as a frontrunner among potential candidates several weeks ago.Hagel,...

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Activists wary as India rushes to justice after gang rape

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - It's no surprise the Indian street wants faster, harsher justice for sexual crimes after a horrific gang rape that rocked the nation, but some activists worry the government will trample fundamental rights in its rush to be in tune with popular rage. Last month's rape of a physiotherapy student on a moving bus and her death on December 28 in hospital triggered a...

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Lenovo makes computer play a family affair

SAN FRANCISCO: Lenovo on Sunday unveiled a home tabletop touch-screen computer aimed at turning typically solitary online activities into family affairs.The Chinese computer colossus proclaimed the arrival of the "interpersonal PC" with the debut of the IdeaCentre Horizon Table in Las Vegas, where the Consumer Electronics Show gadget gala is set to start."It's definitely a new category;...

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Bolting your food? Put on the brakes with HapiFork

Inventor Jacques Lepine with the HapiFork, which buzzes when you bolt food. (Credit:Tim Hornyak/CNET)LAS VEGAS--Does your mom's lasagna taste better if you savor each bite as if it were your last?It might or might not, but if you slow down when eating, chances are you'll eat less. That's the idea behind HapiFork, shown off at 2013 CES Unveiled. The fork vibrates if you take a bite less than 10 seconds...

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