4 SKoreans freed after being kidnapped in Nigeria

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Four South Korean construction workers and a Nigerian colleague who were kidnapped in southern Nigeria have been freed. The five employees of Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. were preparing for the construction of factories when they were abducted by unidentified gunmen Monday in Bayelsa state. Bayelsa State police chief Kingsley Omire said Saturday that the kidnappers "freely...

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Burger King's Whopper returns to France

PARIS (AP) — For the first time in 15 years, Burger King served its flame-grilled Whoppers in France, a country better known for its gastronomy than fast food. Burger King Worldwide opened a restaurant at Marseille airport on Saturday, returning to France thanks to an agreement with Autogrill, which operates restaurants at highway service stations. The burger chain, the world's second biggest behind...

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Obama tries to rescue fiscal talks for post-Christmas deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Friday tried to rescue stalled talks on a fiscal crisis after a Republican plan imploded in Congress, but there was little headway as lawmakers and President Barack Obama abandoned Washington for Christmas. In remarks before flying to Hawaii for a break, Obama suggested reaching a short-term deal on taxes and extending unemployment insurance to avoid the worst...

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EU to give Spain, France more time to cut deficit: press

MADRID (Reuters) - The European Commission will propose giving Spain, France and several other euro zone states more time to cut their public deficits below the target limit of 3 percent of GDP, newspaper El Pais said on Saturday. Citing senior Spanish and European Union sources, the Madrid-based daily said France could get an extra year, allowing it to narrow its fiscal gap by 2014, while Spain would...

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Will he or won't he? Italy awaits Monti's decision

ROME (AP) — Italy's president dissolved parliament Saturday, setting the stage for general elections in February and leaving only one lingering question from Premier Mario Monti's 13-month term trying to fix Italy's troubled finances: whether he will run. Monti will announce his decision Sunday, ending weeks of speculation and jockeying that have dominated Italy's political discourse and preoccupied...

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World Series Goes to Game 7 After an Epic Win by St. Louis

After being one strike away from elimination in back-to-back innings, the St. Louis Cardinals twice rallied from two runs down towin an 11-inning classic and force Game 7 of the World Series. RELATED: The Texas Rangers' Campaign Against 'The Wave' The Cards trailed Texas by two runs in both the ninth and tenth innings, but got multiple clutch hits from the likes...

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Baseball Had A Really Good Night on Friday

So much for the risk of major media-market teams missing the World Series. Twenty-five million people watched Game Seven between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers.RELATED: A Wet World Series Forecast; NBA Players Plot World TourIt's a truism of sports journalism — at least of the shouty AM radio call-in show variety — that no one's really going to care about the World Series if a marquee...

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The Los Angeles Dodgers Are for Sale

After a months-long battle over the fate of one of baseball's iconic franchises, beleaguered owner Frank McCourt has finally agreed to sell the Los Angeles Dodgers. Major League Baseball announced the deal late last night, ending a bitter dispute that sent the team into bankruptcy and caused loyal fans to revolt.RELATED: L.A. Dodgers Set Record with $2 Billion SaleAccording to the Los Angeles Times,...

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Major League Baseball Catcher Is Kidnapped in Venezuela

Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos has reportedly been kidnapped in his home country of Venezuela. Four gunman took him from his house on Wednesday, but no demands have been made yet.RELATED: Pakistani Cricket Players Receive Jail Time for Fixing MatchesThis is the not the first time that a Major League Baseball player has been targeted for kidnapping, although usually it is family members...

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Warriors beat Hornets at home to stay hot

(Reuters) - The Golden State Warriors staved off a late fourth-quarter challenge to beat New Orleans Hornets 103-96 for a successful home return on Tuesday.David Lee had 26 points and nine rebounds while Klay Thompson added 19 points as the Warriors triumphed in their first game at Oracle Arena since a recent seven-game road trip that saw them finish 6-1.Despite the Golden State controlling the Hornets...

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TC to delay Google anti-trust probe decision: source

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which had been expected to wrap up an anti-trust probe into Google within days, will now delay its decision for weeks, a source said on Tuesday. Google has been accused of giving competitors in lucrative areas like travel a lower ranking in search results, thus making it harder for their customers to find them. Google has repeatedly denied...

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Exclusive: SPX closes in on $4.2 billion Gardner Denver deal - source

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Industrial machinery maker SPX Corp is closing in on a roughly $4.2 billion deal to buy rival Gardner Denver Inc, as it makes progress in securing financing, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. A deal could value Wayne, Pennsylvania-based Gardner Denver at about $85 per share, the source said. Gardner Denver's shares closed at $73.68 on Tuesday. SPX has a market...

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Shares, euro rise on hopes of U.S. "cliff" deal, BOJ easing

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian shares rose and the euro hit multi-month highs on Wednesday as signs of progress in resolving the U.S. "fiscal cliff" budget crisis and expectations of more aggressive monetary stimulus from the Bank of Japan lifted riskier assets. The gains in Asia came after Wall Street's S&P 500 <.spx> rose more than 1 percent, completing its best two-day run in a month, on...

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Republicans put squeeze on Obama in "fiscal cliff" talks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Frustrated by their inability to wring more "fiscal cliff" concessions out of President Barack Obama, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives announced Tuesday night that they expect to pass their own tax bill as a backup plan to avert the tax hikes and automatic budget cuts set to occur in January. No one expects the bill, which would extend low tax rates except...

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Ford says recalls have not hurt auto sales

DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co is not experiencing a hit to its auto sales as a result of a recent spate of safety recalls, Chief Operating Officer Mark Fields said. "I think overall our sales are doing well," Fields told reporters on Tuesday, adding that consumers have a good perception of the quality of Ford products. "But we also understand that's a very precious thing and we're working very...

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