Asian shares retreat after China PMI, U.S. payrolls eyed

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares wiped earlier gains on Friday as a tepid Chinese manufacturing report dented sentiment, leaving investors on tenterhooks ahead of U.S. nonfarm payroll data due at 1330 GMT. China's official purchasing managers' index (PMI) eased to 50.4 in January, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday, missing market expectations for a rise and underscoring the...

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SUPER BOWL WATCH: Beyonce, avocados, practice

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Around Super Bowl XLVII and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of everything surrounding the game:___GRIDIRON TO LEMONADE STANDDonald Driver didn't waste much time finding a new job.The Green Bay Packers all-time leading receiver announced his retirement Thursday morning, then helped kids from Junior Achievement sell lemonade...

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New Stroke Guidelines Expand Use of Clot-Busting Drugs

Some people who’ve had a stroke can receive a clot-busting drug up to 4.5 hours after their symptoms begin, according to new guidelines from the American Heart Association.Previously, the guidelines said the drug must be delivered within three hours of the onset of symptoms.The drug, called tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, breaks down blood clots in the brain, and can improve stroke symptoms...

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Reality check needed on immigration?

STORY HIGHLIGHTSHoward Kurtz: The mainstream media are rooting for immigration policy changesKurtz: Is enthusiasm causing the media to overestimate the prospects for reform? He says the Republican House has been a graveyard for numerous Obama reformsKurtz: Illegal immigration still arouses visceral opposition among some Americans Editor's note: Howard Kurtz is the host of CNN's "Reliable Sources"...

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Hadiya Pendleton's 'twin' describes death of best friend

The best friend of Hadiya Pendleton talks about the moments before her friend was shot in Chicago on January 31, 2013. (Heather Charles, Chicago Tribune) ...

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Explosion at Mexican oil giant Pemex headquarters kills 25

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A powerful explosion rocked the Mexico City headquarters of state-owned oil giant Pemex on Thursday, killing at least 25 people, injuring more than 100 and trapping others inside. The mid-afternoon blast in a neighboring building shattered the lower floors of the downtown tower, throwing debris into the streets and sending frightened workers running outside. ...

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Asian shares off highs, Fed's stance underpins markets

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares took a breather from recent rallies on Thursday though sentiment was underpinned by the U.S. Federal Reserve's pledge to retain its stimulus policy and on signs of stabilization in the euro zone. Positive economic reports from Asia failed to lift markets as investors continued to assess regional earnings results and ahead of key data such as China's official...

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Brees wants to bury bounty probe, help New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drew Brees wore gray sneakers to his first full day of Super Bowl-related appearances — a wise move for an ambassador of a city who had to walk briskly from end to end of a sprawling convention center to make all of his scheduled stops.Not only was the Saints' star quarterback a man on the move, but also ready to move on from the bitterness of the bounty scandal, which may have...

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NASA launches communication satellite

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA launched a new communication satellite Wednesday to stay in touch with its space station astronauts and relay more Hubble telescope images.An unmanned Atlas V rocket blasted into the starry night sky carrying the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite.This is the 11th TDRS satellite to be launched by NASA. The space agency uses the orbiting network to communicate with astronauts...

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BlackBerry must remember strengths

STORY HIGHLIGHTSBlackBerry sales have slumped in the U.S. but is still strong in emerging marketsNew models launched should remember why they are popular in developing worldIn places like Brazil and South Africa, the 10 is the update to their current phonein Sub-Saharan Africa there is expected to be 175 million new customers in the next 3 yearsWatch Jim Clancy on CNN International's "The Brief" at...

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