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Budget deal headed to vote in U.S. House, passage predicted
By David Lawder and Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday were falling in line behind a bipartisan two-year budget deal, indicating that the normally rambunctious group of lawmakers is...

China tells pilots to improve landing skills to deal with Beijing smog
Chinese authorities have told pilots who fly to Beijing they must be qualified to land their aircraft in the low visibility bought about by smog, state media said on Thursday, as the government tries to reduce flight delays due to pollution. Begi...

California given two-month extension to reduce prison crowding
By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - California will have an extra two months to reduce crowding in its prison system, a panel of three federal judges ruled on Wednesday, in the latest twist in a decades-long dispute over condit...

Generic Cymbalta Approved
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- The first generic versions of the antidepressant drug Cymbalta (duloxetine delayed-release capsules) have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. License to produce generic Cymbalta was ...

Will Music Make Your Child Smarter?
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- If Johnny doesn't take to the violin, don't fret. A new study challenges the widely held belief that music lessons can help boost children's intelligence. "More than 80 percent of American adults think ...

Genes Beat Family, Teachers for Academic Success, Study Suggests
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- When it comes to factors affecting children's school performance, DNA may trump home life or teachers, a new British study finds. "Children differ in how easily they learn at school. Our research shows ...

Gut Bacteria Shift Quickly After Changes in Diet, Study Shows
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- If you were to switch from vegetarianism to meat-eating, or vice-versa, chances are the composition of your gut bacteria would also undergo a big change, a new study suggests. The research, published De...

New Flu Vaccine May Provide More Protection to Kids
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- A vaccine that protects children against four strains of flu may be more effective than the usual three-strain vaccine, a new study suggests. The four-strain (or so-called "quadrivalent") vaccine is ava...

Canada's CPPIB acquires minority stake in France's Orpea
By Euan Rocha TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) said on Tuesday it has invested 320.8 million euro ($442.4 million) to acquire a 15 percent stake in nursing home operator Orpea as it bets on the French company's...

U.S. FDA panel backs use of Boston Scientific anti-stroke device
(Reuters) - An advisory panel of medical experts voted on Wednesday to recommend that U.S. health regulators approve an experimental stroke-prevention device made by Boston Scientific Corp The panel voted 13 to 1 that the benefits outweigh the ri...