Millions of Hindus bathe in Ganges to cleanse sins

ALLAHABAD, India (AP) — Millions of devout Hindus plunged Monday into India's holy Ganges River in a ritual they believe can wash away their sins.Monday is considered the most auspicious day of the Kumbh Mela, or Pitcher Festival, which lasts 55 days and is one of the world's largest religious gatherings.Over 110 million people are expected to take a dip at the Sangam, the place where three rivers...

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AP PHOTOS: Finding the salt of the soil of Benin

DJEGBADJI, Benin (AP) — In this village in Benin, the salt of the Earth means business.The women of Djegbadji, a village near the town of Ouidah, wake up in the morning to dig away the surface of the marshy soil near the Atlantic Ocean. They put the soil into large pots, then draw water from local wells to pour through the dirt.Small spigots at the bottom of each pot allow the water to escape after...

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Zimbabwe: Zimplats agrees to sell shares to gov't

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's largest platinum mining company says it has signed a deal to sell off its majority shareholding to the government as part of the country's black empowerment laws.South African-owned Zimplats chief Terence Goodlace said Friday the sale, worth $971 million, was "non-binding" until the end of June when the Zimbabwe government must pay $153 million for what he called...

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Angels land slugger Hamilton in $125 million deal: report

(Reuters) - Free agent slugger Josh Hamilton has agreed to a five-year, $125 million deal to join the Los Angeles Angels, Major League Baseball's (MLB) website reported on Thursday.The five-time All-Star, who overcame drug and alcohol addictions to become one of MLB's most feared hitters, helped power the Texas Rangers to consecutive World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.The 31-year-old hard-hitting...

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Angels land slugger Hamilton in $125 million deal

in the first inning of their MLB American League baseball game in Arlington, Texas …more (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Angels grabbed Major League Baseball's prized free agent for a second consecutive year on Thursday by signing slugger Josh Hamilton to a five-year, $125 million contract.Hamilton, a five-time All-Star who overcame drug and alcohol addictions to become one of Major League Baseball's...

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Yankees sign former rival Youkilis to one-year deal

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former Red Sox rival Kevin Youkilis officially joined the New York Yankees on Friday when he signed a one-year contract to fill a void left by the absence of Alex Rodriguez, the American League team said.The three-time All-Star, 33, will serve as the starting third baseman with slugger Rodriguez expected to be sidelined until midseason after having surgery on his left hip.The...

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Google drops key patent claims against Microsoft

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Google unit Motorola Mobility has asked a trade panel to drop two key patents from an infringement complaint that it filed against Microsoft, according to a filing at the International Trade Commission.The ITC has been considering accusations by Motorola Mobility, which has since been purchased by Google, that Microsoft infringed on its patented technology to make its popular...

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Pebble Smart Watch Finally Ready

It's a very good day for the Pebble smart watch. The popular watch will start shipping this month, first to people who offered financial backing online, then to anyone else who wants one.Last April, the Pebble -- a watch that pairs with an iPhone and Android phones -- was announced on Kickstarter with a flashy video and lots of cool design images of the device. Within days the start-up received over...

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Self-portraits: Holmes sticks out tongue, has gun

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) — Using a cell phone, James Holmes took photos of himself the night police say he shot up a Colorado movie theater.He stuck out his tongue, smiled and posed with a Glock.Police showed the photos in court on Wednesday, along with pictures of the theater they say Holmes took a month before the attack.One photo included an exit door like the one investigators say Holmes propped...

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End-of-the-Year Checklist for Divorcing Women

Most women wait until after the holidays to move forward with their divorces --and that’s completely understandable. Many don’t want to disrupt family traditions for their children. Some welcome the distraction offered by the hustle and bustle of the season. And, of course, others want to avoid the discussions that inevitably seem to arise whenever and wherever relatives gather.Interestingly, though,...

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