Senate vote likely on U.S. "fiscal cliff" deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House and Senate leaders struck a bipartisan deal on Monday to try to avoid a "fiscal cliff" budget crisis, although the agreement was likely to face stiff challenges in the House of Representatives. Senators were due to vote on the accord overnight and independent Senator Joe Lieberman said it had strong support from the Democrats who control the chamber....

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Clemson edges LSU 25-24 on last-second FG

ATLANTA (AP) — Clemson got one last impressive drive from Tajh Boyd and company to record its first 11-win season since its 1981 national championship team.And Tigers coach Dabo Swinney thinks this is only the beginning.Chandler Catanzaro kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give No. 14 Clemson a wild 25-24 win over No. 9 Louisiana State in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Monday night.Trailing 24-22,...

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Maine gas prices on the way up

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Gas prices in Maine are up nearly three cents per gallon in the past week.Price-monitoring website MaineGasPrices.com reports Monday that the average retail cost of a gallon of gasoline jumped to $ 3.51.The national average also rose about three cents in the past week, but remains well below the Maine average at $ 3.27 per gallon.Current Maine prices are a nickel lower than a...

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13 key stories to watch for in 2013

Among the few virtual certainties of 2013 is the ongoing anguish of Syria and the decline of its president, Bashar al-Assad.STORY HIGHLIGHTSLook for more unrest amid power transitions in the Middle EastDisputes and economic worries will keep China, Japan, North Korea in the newsEurope's economy will stay on a rough road, but the outlook for it is brighterEvents are likely to draw attention to cyber...

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Weak offense costs Lovie Smith his job as Bears coach

It is not often NFL teams fire head coaches after 10-win seasons, but it is even rarer for coaches to retain their jobs after...

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North Korean leader, in rare address, seeks end to confrontation with South

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for an end to confrontation between the two Koreas, technically still at war in the absence of a peace treaty to end their 1950-53 conflict, in a surprise New Year speech broadcast on state media. The address by Kim, who took over power in the reclusive state after his father, Kim Jong-il, died in 2011, appeared to take the place...

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Strong Asian gains overshadowed by U.S. fiscal cliff

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Several major Asian stock indexes closed on Monday with the strongest annual gains in years, but these were overshadowed by the lack of progress in talks to avert the looming U.S. "fiscal cliff". Australian shares ended up 14.6 percent in 2012, the best yearly gain since the recovery of 2009. On Monday the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index <.axjo> fell 22.4 points...

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Redskins beat Cowboys 28-18 to win NFC East

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — "R-G-3!" was all Redskins fans needed to chant when they wanted to express their love for Robert Griffin III. For the lesser-known rookie, they opted for his whole name: "Alf-red Mor-ris!"It's a new generation that has Washington atop the NFC East for the first time this millennium. There's Griffin — the vocal leader, the first-round draft pick, the Heisman Trophy winner, the...

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Nobel scientist Levi-Montalcini dies in Rome, 103

ROME (AP) — Rome‘s mayor says biologist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who conducted underground research in defiance of Fascist persecution, and went on to win a Nobel Prize for helping unlock the mysteries of the cell, has died at her home in the city. She was 103.Italy’s so-called “Lady of the Cells,” who died on Sunday, lived through anti-Semitic discrimination and Nazi invasion, becoming one of her country’s...

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Stories for 2013: Syria to 'post-Gangnam'

Among the few virtual certainties of 2013 is the ongoing anguish of Syria and the decline of its president, Bashar al-Assad.STORY HIGHLIGHTSLook for more unrest amid power transitions in the Middle EastDisputes and economic worries will keep China, Japan, North Korea in the newsEurope's economy will stay on a rough road, but the outlook for it is brighterEvents are likely to draw attention to cyber...

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