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Saturday, December 18, 2010 12:02 AM PST

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Today's Top Stories: Pakistani spy agency denies it unmasked CIA chief SKorea to hold firing drills despite NKorea threat Obama salutes spirit of compromise, signs tax bill Senate faces historic vote on military gay ban Belarus opposition complains of dirty tricks Congress rushes to finish bills before holidays Mexico outraged by killing of anti-crime crusader $7.2B is recovered for Madoff's victims Paris Vogue editor to leave after 10-year tenure James has triple-double, dominates again at MSG Madoff trustee recoups biggest settlement yet Obama signs tax bill, praises bipartisan spirit South Korea set for live-fire drills despite North threat SEC expands mortgage probe: sources WikiLeaks' Assange says fears U.S. extradition Irish debt downgraded as EU eschews crisis Inmates flee prison in Mexico; bomb targets police Growth prospects look firmer as year end nears S.Korea to go ahead with fire drill despite N.Korea threat WikiLeaks chief Assange fears US charges Pakistani spy agency denies it unmasked CIA chief Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:40 pm PST AP - An official with Pakistan's top spy service is denying it helped unmask the CIA's Islamabad station chief, who was forced to leave the country after threats were made to his life. Full Story Top SKorea to hold firing drills despite NKorea threat Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:39 pm PST AP - South Korean troops geared up Saturday for artillery drills on a border island shelled by North Korea last month despite Pyongyang's threat to retaliate again, as Russia and China expressed concerns over tensions on the volatile peninsula. Full Story Top Obama salutes spirit of compromise, signs tax bill Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:45 pm PST AP - President Barack Obama signed into law a huge, holiday-season tax bill extending cuts for all Americans on Friday, saluting a new spirit of political compromise as Republicans applauded and liberals seethed. The benefits range from tax cuts for millionaires and the middle class to longer-term help for the jobless. Full Story Top Senate faces historic vote on military gay ban Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:41 pm PST AP - The Senate was headed toward a landmark vote Saturday on legislation that would let gays serve openly in the military, testing waning opposition among Republicans and putting Democrats within striking distance of overturning "don't ask, don't tell." Full Story Top Belarus opposition complains of dirty tricks Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:37 pm PST AP - An opposition activist depicted as a bikini-clad gay on national TV. Leaflets telling lies about a presidential hopeful. An honors student suddenly expelled from university after appearing in a video making fun of the president. Full Story Top Congress rushes to finish bills before holidays Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:45 pm PST AP - Rushing to finish by Christmas, congressional Democrats worked Friday to secure Senate ratification of a new arms control treaty and to end the military's ban on openly gay service members as they neared the end of two tumultuous years of single-party government. Full Story Top Mexico outraged by killing of anti-crime crusader Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:01 pm PST AP - Anger over Mexico's creaky, inefficient justice system boiled over after a mother who waged a two-year battle to bring her daughter's killer to justice was herself shot to death, possibly by the same man suspected of murdering the teenager. Full Story Top $7.2B is recovered for Madoff's victims Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:47 pm PST AP - Many of Bernard Madoff's victims who thought they lost everything could get at least half their money back after the widow of a Florida philanthropist agreed Friday to return a staggering $7.2 billion that her husband reaped from the giant Ponzi scheme. Full Story Top Paris Vogue editor to leave after 10-year tenure Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:38 pm PST AP - Paris Vogue says its editor-in-chief, Carine Roitfeld, has decided to leave after a 10-year tenure in which the French fashion monthly became "a worldwide reference and indispensable magazine." Full Story Top James has triple-double, dominates again at MSG Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:20 pm PST AP - LeBron James always said he loved playing here. Full Story Top Madoff trustee recoups biggest settlement yet Fri, 17 Dec 2010 03:37 pm PST Reuters - The man assigned to recover money for Madoff's victims won his biggest settlement yet -- an agreement by the estate of longtime Madoff friend Jeffry Picower to give back $7.2 billion in profits from the epic fraud. Full Story Top Obama signs tax bill, praises bipartisan spirit Fri, 17 Dec 2010 02:51 pm PST Reuters - President Barack Obama on Friday signed into law a bill extending Bush-era tax cuts and said he hoped the bipartisan spirit that had made it possible would help restore Americans' faith in Washington. Full Story Top South Korea set for live-fire drills despite North threat Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:48 pm PST Reuters - South Korean marines were poised on Saturday to conduct a live-fire drill off the west coast despite a threat by the North to launch a new strike and Beijing's call for restraint from the rival states. Full Story Top SEC expands mortgage probe: sources Fri, 17 Dec 2010 02:22 pm PST Reuters - Securities regulators have broadened their inquiry into the mortgage industry, asking big banks about the early stages of securitizing home loans, two sources familiar with the probe said. Full Story Top WikiLeaks' Assange says fears U.S. extradition Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:04 pm PST Reuters - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said on Friday that he was the target of an aggressive U.S. investigation and feared extradition to the United States was "increasingly likely." Full Story Top Irish debt downgraded as EU eschews crisis Fri, 17 Dec 2010 02:23 pm PST Reuters - Ratings agency Moody's gave an emphatic thumbs-down on Friday to Europe's efforts to resolve a debt crisis, slashing Ireland's credit rating as EU leaders took no new action to prevent market turmoil spreading. Full Story Top Inmates flee prison in Mexico; bomb targets police Fri, 17 Dec 2010 07:13 pm PST Reuters - More than 140 inmates escaped via the main entrance of a prison near the U.S. border on Friday in the biggest Mexican jailbreak since the government began its war on drugs four years ago. Full Story Top Growth prospects look firmer as year end nears Fri, 17 Dec 2010 02:24 pm PST Reuters - The U.S. economy is gathering steam as the year draws to a close, boosting optimism about prospects in 2011, according to measures published by two separate economic research firms on Friday. Full Story Top S.Korea to go ahead with fire drill despite N.Korea threat Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:05 pm PST AFP - South Korea vowed to go ahead with a live-fire drill on a border island bombarded by North Korea last month, despite the North's threat to strike back harder. Full Story Top WikiLeaks chief Assange fears US charges Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:16 pm PST AFP - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Friday it was "increasingly likely" the US would try to extradite him on charges related to leaked cables as he savoured his first day on bail. Full Story Top

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