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Dan and Jackie Liberto, the San Antonio Christian parents of three daughters, want to bring biblical history alive for millions of girls as they feature Biblical heroines in their Freedom Girls collection.  I have been in Bible Study Fellowship with Dan for years.

Their first 18-inch doll is Ruth, from the Old Testament, who comes with a companion book "The Story of Ruth Through A Child's Eyes."  Now, your daughter, granddaughter or niece can have a doll who inspires loyalty and purity of heart straight from the pages of Scripture.

The Libertos selected Ruth to be the first Freedom Girl doll precisely because of the character attributes of Christ she displays like love, faithfulness and compassion. By contrast, I don't think the latest Barbie incarnation can hold a candle in light of her emphasis on immodesty, selfishness and materialism.  If your daughter emulated Barbie, you'd be pulling your hair out.  If she emulated Ruth, you'd be a proud parent indeed.

Read some excerpts from the book.

As you open the pages of the Freedom Girl paperback, your daughter will encounter a modern 8-year-old Ruth from 2011 who learns about her Scriptural namesake.  While the contemporary Ruth battles her own sin nature as revealed in her fights with her brother and the roll of her eyes behind her parents' backs, she nonetheless has a yearning for God.     

Dan and Jackie Liberto talk about what inspired them to create the 18-inch Ruth doll and accompanying book entitled "The Story of Ruth Through A Child's Eyes."

If I, Adam McManus, had a daughter between the age of 5 and 12, I couldn't buy the Ruth doll and book fast enough to help me communicate the eternal truths found in Scripture.  Allow the Libertos to help you answer your daughter's questions about Godly character through Ruth.  She will act out the story over and over again as she plays with Ruth.

1.  Get the 18-inch Ruth Doll and companion 80-page book entitled "The Story of Ruth Through a Child's Eyes" for your daughter, granddaughter or niece.  Take advantage of the 10% Christmas discount through December 31, 2011 by using the promo code "Advent." The cost of the Ruth doll with the companion 80-page book is $94.99.  When you use the Advent code,you save $9.50.  Tax and shipping is extra.

2. "Like" The Freedom Girls ministry page on Facebook.  You could win a FREE Ruth doll and book if you offer the best answer to this question: "What does the biblical story of Ruth offer to young girls today?"  (Length: 1 sentence to 150 words posted on the Freedom Girls Facebook page.  Anyone of any age can enter.  Deadline: Wednesday, December 14th by 11:59 p.m.)

Here is one entry which coulod win a FREE Ruth doll and book: "As I was doing Bible study this morning my heart flooded with so much thankfulness for encouraging those of us who read your contest. I want to let you know that the Lord is using this to bring about so many vital things that we tend to ove...r look. The book of Ruth is one that often gets looked over as a love story between two people, Ruth and Boaz instead of the depth that it really is! Thank you for the sword sharpening and stimulating!! I AM SO EXCITED!!"

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by Adam McManus

 
Over the course of my 20-year career as a radio talk show host, I've met and interviewed a lot of fascinating people.  Many of them are household names which you would recognize instantly. 


Tom Snyder, the 46-year-old owner of the regional Colonial Life Insurance office here in Garden Ridge, has got to be one of the most intriguing people I've met in a long time.  He's not famous.  He's not a political leader.  And he hasn't even written a book.
 
But he's spearheading a unique Christian ministry in our own backyard whose vision is as big as the Texas sky.



Now that he has become a successful businessman, Tom, a member of River City Community Church here in San Antonio, has a passion to give back to the community - especially to the children in demonstrable, life-changing ways.  


That's why he founded Trinity Oaks, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  At the heart of the ministry are the youth hunts for 10 to 16-year-olds.  Throughout their time, the young people experience firearms safety instruction, target shooting and actual big game hunting.

In the process, Tom wants to give the tweens and teens access to the great outdoors, to build their character, and to teach them the importance of responsibility in our narcissistic culture. 

"Our goal with youth is three-fold.  First, we want to teach kids that hunting is not just about 'killing animals', but also about building relationships and enjoying God's majestic outdoors.  Second, we want to promote our country's hunting heritage to future generations," said Tom Snyder.  
 
"Third and most importantly, we want to show children of all ages that they have value and let them know there are people who care about them, people willing to listen to them and mentor them.  We have found you can really reach a child and make a difference in his life just by sitting next to a campfire and listening to what he has to say."

During the 2010/2011 hunting season alone, Tom personally acted as the lead field guide for every one of the 20 youth hunts attended by 85 young people, 53 of whom were first-time hunters.  Typically, each hunt is comprised of 3-5 youngsters along with their fathers and some volunteer guides. Each youth is assigned to an adult. 

Their goal for the upcoming 2011/2012 hunting season is to have 30 youth hunts attended by 100 kids and 75 first-time children hunters.


Amazingly, Trinity Oaks covers every single expense including the cost of transportation, the lease of the land, the hunting license fees as well as the food, lodging and the mounting of the child's wildgame trophy.
 
All the meat is processed for free by volunteers, ground up and frozen into family packs.  It's then distributed to needy families and homeless shelters throughout San Antonio as well as orphanages in Mexico.


1.  If you would like to suggest a boy or girl between the ages of 10 and 16 to participate in a future Trinity Oaks youth hunt, please call 210.447.0351, and tell them you are a McManus subscriber, or email.
 
2.  If you would like to volunteer to become a guide or firearms trainer for some of the youth hunts, please call 210.447.0351 and tell them you are a McManus subscriber or e-mail.
 
3.  If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to Trinity Oaks to ensure that the Youth Hunts and Wounded Warrior Hunts continue, donate on-line here. 

The cost of sending one underprivileged kid on a Christian Youth Hunt is $1,200.  And now, thanks to the generosity of one sponsor, anything that you give up to $100,000 will be doubled.

So, if you give $150 today, your donation will be doubled to $300 and fund one-quarter of the $1,200 cost for one kid to participate in this life-changing ministry.

If you give $300 today, your donation will be doubled to $600 and fund one-half of the $1,200 cost for one kid to participate in this life-changing ministry.

You can also make a tax-deductible donation by check made out to "Trinity Oaks." Send it to: Tom Snyder, Trinity Oaks, 9385 Miller Lane, San Antonio, Texas 78266. (Write "McManus newsletter" in the memo)

4.  Please take 30 seconds and send me, Adam McManus, an email to let me know that you made a donation toward funding the expense of a youth hunt for a disadvantaged young person through Trinity Oaks:TalkRadioAdam@gmail.com.  I want to personally thank you.

CHRISTMAS CAKE MISTAKES

 

 

 

see all the other Christmas Cake mistakes
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SAN ANTONIO WOMAN KILLED BY TRUCK AT BUS STOP



Wrecker drivers sweep up at the scene of an accident that took place about 5:50 a.m. Monday December 12, 2011 at the corner of Wilson and Woodlawn. A 34-year-old woman was killed early Monday, when a pickup driver allegedly ran a red light, collided with another vehicle and then careened into the woman waiting at a bus stop on the West Side, San Antonio police said.

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SAN ANTONIO VICTIM OF DWI CRASH NEVER LET FRIENDS DRIVE DRUNK

Christina Renee Flores would do anything she could to keep her friends and family from the dangers of drunken driving, people who knew her said.

 

The single mother of three was known to pay for cabs and hotel rooms for her intoxicated loved ones, but it was more common for Flores, 43, to pick up those who needed a ride.

Early Saturday, Flores was awakened by a phone call from a man she was dating, asking for a ride home from a bar.

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ONE HOUR HEATING AND AC OF SAN ANTONIO IS OFFERING

A FREE FURNACE OR FREE EFFICIENCY UPGRADE BY 12/31/11

 

Now through December 31, 2011, you can choose between a FREE furnace or a FREE efficiency upgrade with the purchase and installation of a Deluxe, Premiere or Optimum Comfort System.
 
That's a savings of up to $1,250!

Learn more about The Deal here.

To get The Deal, call Parish Hebert (pronounced A-bear) at One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning at 210.525.9191 and say that you're a McManus subscriber.

(License # TACLA19895E)
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MICHELLE DUGGAR MISCARRIED HER 20th CHILD IN SECOND TRIMESTER


Pray for Michelle Duggar who just lost her baby in the second trimester through a miscarriage.




1.  Learn more about The Duggar Family and their conviction that children are a blessing from the Lord.

2.     Please join me and send her an email, card or flowers. duggarmail@gmail.com, Mail: P.O. Box 1000 Tontitown, AR 72770, (NOTE: UPS or Fedex shipments: Duggar Family, 1486 West Sunset, Springdale, Arkansas 72764)
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ROMNEY, GINGRICH BEAT OBAMA IN 12 SWING STATES

President Barack Obama is in big trouble, with both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich leading him in a dozen key swing states, according to a new USA Today/Gallup poll.

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NEIL CAVUTO SLAPS DOWN OCCUPY CHICK!
THIS WOMAN IS WHO OBAMA IS SIDING WITH!

Neil Cavuto slaps down Occupy chick! - This is who Obama is siding with!

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AT FRONT OF GOP PACK, SKIRMISHES ESCALATE

For much of this presidential primary season, New Hampshire has been perceived as being in Mitt Romney's back pocket. He has a house in Wolfeboro, N.H., and was governor of neighboring Massachusetts, where the news media made him


a constant presence in New Hampshire living rooms.

But as in other early voting states, Newt Gingrich has unexpectedly surged in the polls here in recent weeks. While Mr. Romney still holds the lead, Mr. Gingrich tops the polls in Iowa, South Carolina and Florida, gaining enough steam that while here on Monday, he repeatedly referred to himself as the front-runner.

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ROMNEY: NEWT'S THE FRONT-RUNNER

Mitt Romney, the steady, long-presumed man to beat in the GOP race for the nomination, admitted on Monday he's not at the top anymore -- and instead considers Newt Gingrich the front-runner.

Asked during an event in New Hampshire if the former House speaker is the front-runner, Romney replied bluntly: "He is right now."

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GINGRICH BASHES, EMPLOYS MEDIA TO GET AHEAD

Newt Gingrich has made a point of ridiculing the press during his presidential campaign, but he actually owes the media a debt of gratitude. Without the free coverage he has received, the money-challenged Gingrich campaign might never have gotten off the ground.

"Free media propelled Herman Cain from nowhere to somewhere and back again. And it resurrected Newt from the ashes," said Mark McKinnon, vice chairman of Public Strategies Inc., who worked as a media adviser to the presidential candidacies of George W. Bush and John McCain.

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GINGRICH TAKES 'PERSONAL FIDELITY' PLEDGE

Republican presidential front-runner Newt Gingrich has pledged "personal fidelity" to his spouse and "respect for the marital bonds of others."

Gingrich made the pledge in a written communication on Monday to the Iowa social conservative group, The Family Leader, which has requested that GOP candidates sign it as a requirement for endorsement in the presidential race.

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GARY BUSEY ENDORSES NEWT GINGRICH

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AXELROD SETS SIGHTS ON GINGRICH

At briefing for reporters, Obama advisor David Axelrod says of Newt Gingrich: "The higher a monkey climbs on the pole the more you can see his butt."

AND: Doesn't forget to sneak in a Romney tweak: "Generally his practice has been to bet other people's money, not his own."

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GLENN BECK: I'D CONSIDER RON PAUL AS THIRD PARTY OVER NEWT


Glenn Beck said this morning on his radio show that if Newt Gingrich is the nominee and Ron Paul runs third party, he'd consider voting for Ron Paul over Newt Gingrich, and he hates Ron Paul's policies on the Middle East:

watch video
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ROGER AILES AUTOBIOGRAPHY COULD FETCH $4 MILLION ADVANCE

The autobiography of Roger Ailes, who has overseen Fox News from a start-up in 17 million homes to one of the most profitable and respected news organizations in the United States, could fetch an advance of up to $4 million, according to New York magazine.

Representing the 71-year-old Ailes in the potential book venture is Robert Barnett, a powerful Washington, D.C., attorney who also represents the Clintons, former President George W. Bush, and Barbra Streisand.

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POLL: PEOPLE FEAR BIG GOV'T MORE THAN BIG BUSINESS OR LABOR

Americans' fear of big government - partly fueled by a sharp spike among Democrats since President Barack Obama took office - almost reached a record high this year and is far greater than people's concerns about big business and big labor, a new Gallup poll Monday shows.

An overwhelming 64 percent of people surveyed said big government was the biggest threat to the country, compared to just 26 percent who said big business is their gravest concern and 8 percent who picked big labor.

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STRIP CLUB OFFERS LAP DANCES FOR CHRISTMAS TOY DONATIONS

If you're a stingy, Scroogey type at Christmas, the Admiral Theatre has an incentive for you to change your ways.

Yes, that Admiral Theatre.

Beginning Monday and continuing through Saturday, the Admiral is offering a free lap dance to anyone who donates an unused, unwrapped toy.

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UP A POLE, MIAMI COP OK

This is something you don't see everyday.

Miami police officer J. Brutus is OK, but possibly feeling a bit sheepish Tuesday morning, after getting distracted while driving and running his patrol car up a pole. Not into it, but up it.


"I heard boom, boom, boom!" Pamela Green said. "Then all the lights went out. I look out, I see he's up the pole."

Watch TV news story
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SCHOOL HANDS OUT BELTS TO STUDENTS WITH DROOPY DRAWERS

A school in South Carolina is taking on saggy pants by lending belts to students who show up with droopy drawers.


Students at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill used to face a disciplinary write-up for the dress code violation. But now Principal James Blake is hoping the new approach will get students to think about how they dress and also cut down on the number of students referred for discipline.

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WOMAN FILES COMPLAINT AFTER BEING BARRED FROM BREAST-FEEDING

A woman has filed a complaint with the D.C. Office of Human Rights after a security guard allegedly barred her from breast-feeding while waiting for a Department of Motor Vehicles hearing.

Simone Manigo-Truell dos Santos says she was at the Henry Daly Building in Northwest on Nov. 30 for a traffic ticket hearing with her 4 1/2-month-old son, Samuel.

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UNANNOUNCED VERIZON EMERGENCY ALERT CAUSES PANIC IN NEW JERSEY

An unannounced test of a soon to be mandatory emergency alert system caused panic in New Jersey today after Verizon customers received text messages warning them that a "civil emergency" was in progress and to "take shelter," prompting alarmed citizens to flood 911 lines with anxious calls.

However, media reports concerning the alarm completely ignore the fact that Verizon was almost certainly running a test for the federal government's soon to be mandatory PLAN alert program, which the company has signed up for.

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OBAMA CALLS ON IRAN TO GIVE BACK DOWNED US DRONE

The Obama administration has delivered a formal request to Iran for the return of a U.S. surveillance drone captured by Iranian armed forces, but said it is not hopeful that Iran will comply.

President Barack Obama said Monday that the U.S. wants the top-secret aircraft back. "We have asked for it back. We'll see how the Iranians respond," Obama said during a White House news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Monday.

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EURO FALLS TO 11-MONTH LOW AS EU REMAINS SPLIT

The euro dropped to an 11-month low against the U.S. dollar on Tuesday, with selling set to continue on concerns about a lack of unity among European nations to tackle the debt crisis and fears of more credit rating downgrades.

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OBAMA TO SLASH NATIONAL GUARD FORCE ON U.S.-MEXICO BORDER

Citing budget cuts, the Obama administration early next year will cut the number of National Guard troops patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border by at least half, according to a congressman who was briefed on the plan.

The National Guard said an announcement will be made by the White House "in the near future," but Rep. Duncan Hunter, a California Republican who has learned of the plans, said slashing the deployment in half is the minimum number, and he said it will mean reshuffling the remaining troops along the nearly 2,000-mile border.

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SUSPENDED CINCINNATI PLAYER BREAKS DOWN FOR BEING CALLED 'A THUG, A GANGSTER'

Suspended Cincinnati forward Yancy Gates cried on Monday as he apologized for his role in an on-court brawl with No. 8 Xavier, saddened that he's being called "a thug, a gangster" for punching players.

"I'm just not that type of person," Gates said before breaking down. "A lot of people have been calling me a thug, a gangster.

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Are we experiencing all that God intends for His children?

"Not by a long shot!" says Mike Arnold, the San Antonio author of "Uprising: It's Time for Christians to Stop Waiting and Start Winning."

Instead, we've lost sight of His original vision for mankind, and as a result we are perishing. Proverbs 29:18 declares, "Where there is no vision, the people perish."     

Time for the CHRISTIAN UPRISING

In addition to working as a campus evangelist, Mike Arnold  has been a political consultant for seven Republican candidates.  Later, he founded a weekly political newsletter called the Lone Star Report which was a must-read for Texas legislators, their staff, lobbyists and Texas media.  During that time Mike spoke weekly with Karl Rove and several times a week with Rick Perry.  

From there he founded TXN, the Texas Network, based in San Antonio, which had TV affiliates in every Texas media market, hired 120 employees and used 17 news gathering vehicles.  Ten years ago,  Mike founded Cross Trail Outfitters, a youth ministry which now has full-time, year-round youth discipleship staff in five states.


1.  Order your physical copy of UPRISING: Time for Christians to Stop Waiting and Start Winning.   To get the Adam's Army 10% discount, type in this code at checkout: 27N9FMB5.

Or get your Kindle version of the book here.

2.  Invite Mike Arnold to speak to your church, men's retreat, Sunday School class or Bible study.  Call 210.286.4875 or email him at marnold@teamcto.org.
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EVICTEES RESORT TO LIVING IN STORAGE FACILITY UNITS

Fire officials in Camden County are investigating the cause of a blaze that tore through a storage facility late Sunday evening.

According to eyewitnesses, two people have been living inside one of the units due to tough economic times.

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CHELSEA CLINTON MIGHT BE 'ONE OF THE MOST BORING PEOPLE OF HER ERA'

It's no surprise whatsoever that Chelsea Clinton didn't electrify broadcast journalism with her debut Monday night on NBC's "Rock Center With Brian Williams," because she has no experience in broadcast journalism. She didn't cut her teeth with live coverage of strip-mall blazes in Sacramento. She never did weekend weather in Wichita Falls. She didn't blow the lid off mail-order ham scams in Des Moines. (Who - besides everyone working in TV news who did each and every one of those things - says you have to do all that?)

Rather, what was surprising to see on Monday night's show is how someone can be on TV in such a prominent way and, in her big moment, display so very little charisma - none at all. Either we're spoiled by TV's unlimited population of giant personalities or this woman is one of the most boring people of her era.

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CHELSEA'S LATE MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER PUSHED HER TO DO SOMETHING WITH HER FAME

She had a tough act to follow - veteran journalist Ted Koppel's report on Iraq - but Chelsea Clinton made her debut as a special correspondent for NBC News on Monday night without any fumbles.

The former first daughter appeared poised and well-prepared, though a bit nervous, delivering her report on a woman at the helm of non-profit in Pine Bluff, Ark., during "Rock Center With Brian Williams."

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SALVATION ARMY HAS WARNING AFTER 3 RED KETTLES STOLEN IN NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA

The Salvation Army wants to make sure those looking to give this holiday season are not being ripped off because of a recent alarming trend.


Randall Thomas, with the Salvation Army, says three of their trademark red kettles have been stolen from bell ringers within the past few weeks.

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RETAIL SALES IN U.S. CLIMBED LESS THAN FORECAST

Retail sales rose in November at the slowest pace in five months, indicating American consumers were trying to live within their means heading into the holiday shopping season as wages dropped

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MOM BREAKS INTO NEARLY 30 HOMES AFTER DROPPING KIDS OFF AT SCHOOL

Henrico County authorities say a mother broke into nearly 30 homes after dropping her kids off at school.

Police have charged Melissa Addison, 36, from Chesterfield, with breaking into and stealing from homes.

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GOOGLE CHAIRMAN SAYS ONLINE PIRACY BILL WOULD 'CRIMINALIZE' THE INTERNET

An online piracy bill in the House would "criminalize linking and the fundamental structure of the Internet itself," according to Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt.

Schmidt said the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) would punish Web firms, including search engines, that link to foreign websites dedicated to online piracy. He said implementing the bill as written would effectively break the Internet.

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CONGRESS CONSIDERS BILL TO CENSOR INTERNET

Over the weekend, First Amendment impresario Floyd Abrams addressed two controversial Internet piracy bills, the Senate's Protect IP Act (PIPA) and the House version, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). He argued that the bill, designed to stop Internet theft of intellectual property, has been denounced by critics for setting up "'walled gardens patrolled by government censors.'

Or derided as imparting 'major features' of 'China's Great Firewall' to America. And accused of being 'potentially politically repressive.'" He contends, "This is not serious criticism. The proposition that efforts to enforce the Copyright Act on the Internet amount to some sort of censorship, let alone Chinese-level censorship, is not merely fanciful. It trivializes the pain inflicted by actual censorship that occurs in repressive states throughout the world. Chinese dissidents do not yearn for freedom in order to download pirated movies."

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OBAMA SAYS U.S. HAS ASKED IRAN TO RETURN DRONE AIRCRAFT

President Barack Obama said Monday that the United States has asked Iran to return a U.S. drone aircraft that Iran claims it recently brought down in Iranian territory.

"We've asked for it back. We'll see how the Iranians respond," Obama said in a news conference, alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

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GUNMAN KILLS THREE IN BELGIUM, INJURES 75

A gunman has opened fire in the centre of the Belgian city of Liege, killing at least three people and wounding 75.

The man also threw grenades into a crowded square from a rooftop before killing himself, reports say.
The attacker was named as Nordine Amrani. He was known to police for firearms offences.

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MY DAUGHTER HAS CHOSEN THE DARK SIDE VIDEO GOES VIRAL

The maniacal laugh of a Norwegian baby girl has thousands of YouTube users and US news outlets bewitched.

In less than two weeks, 1-and-a-half-year-old baby Ekström has earned 5 million views for her reaction to a fallen toy.

My daughter has chosen the Dark Side. [ORIGINAL]

The video titled "My daughter has chosen the dark side," a reference to the Star Wars axis of evil, has been shown on US television by the Good Morning America show and comedian Ellen DeGeneres, both with viewers in the tens of millions.

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