Seeking the truth about Jesus

A nativity scene from St. Catherine's Church in Bethlehem in the West Bank. STORY HIGHLIGHTSJay Parini: There are as many visions of Jesus, and versions, as there are Christians Parini: As a child, I wondered why only two of the gospels mention Christmas He says he believes firmly that Jesus was a real person, complex and inspiring Parini: Jesus's life has mythical resonance with the power to change...

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Afghan policewoman shoots dead NATO adviser

KABUL: A female Afghan police officer on Monday shot dead a foreign civilian adviser in Kabul police headquarters, officials said, in the first "insider" attack to be carried out by a woman.It is the latest in a series of insider attacks that have seriously undermined trust between NATO forces and their Afghan allies in the fight against hardline Islamist Taliban insurgents.An ISAF spokesman...

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Police crackdown amid outrage over gang rape

STORY HIGHLIGHTSRussian President Vladimir Putin is due visit India MondayNew Delhi's government district is under a lockdownProtesters demonstrate after the gang rape of a woman on a busPolice say the woman was badly beaten and left for deadNew Delhi (CNN) -- Police locked down New Delhi's key government district ahead of Monday's visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin, after two days of pitched...

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Sen. Michael Crapo arrested on DUI charges in Virginia

Sen. Michael Crapo, R.-Idaho, was arrested in Virginia early Sunday morning and charged with driving under the influence, Alexandria police say. Police spokesman Craig T. Fifer said an officer was on routine patrol when he saw Sen. Crapo's vehicle run a red light. It was stopped at Hume Avenue and Mount Vernon at 12:45 a.m. Crapo then underwent several field sobriety tests, which he failed, Fifer...

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Get 'em While You Can? Gun Sales Soar

The National Rifle Association may still get its way and defeat the lawmakers calling for a ban on the sale of assault ridles, but some gun store owners say it seems their customers aren't taking any chances."We have never seen anything like this," said Larry Hyatt, who owns a gun shop in Charlotte, N.C. "We have the Christmas business, the hunting season business, and now we...

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Senators slam movie's torture scenes

In the new film "Zero Dark Thirty," Jessica Chastain plays a CIA analyst who is part of the team hunting Osama bin Laden. STORY HIGHLIGHTSSens. Feinstein, McCain, Levin send letter calling new film "grossly inaccurate"Letter adds to controversy over depiction of torture as a key to finding bin Laden, Bergen saysSenate committee has approved 6,000-page classified report on CIA interrogations programBergen...

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S.Korea sheds some Christmas light on North

SEOUL: South Korean church groups have displayed Christmas lights near the tense border with North Korea, an official said on Sunday, despite concerns about a violent response from Pyongyang.Dozens of church leaders and followers put up the giant display -- featuring thousands of glittering light bulbs on a tree-shaped steel tower -- near the heavily-fortified border on Saturday, a defence...

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Little common ground in debate on guns

STORY HIGHLIGHTSThe NRA wants to staff every school in America with "qualified armed security"Obama, Democrats and others see tougher gun control as the way to limit future massacresWhile both sides want to keep children safe, it seems they are living in two different worldsWashington (CNN) -- For National Rifle Association Vice President Wayne LaPierre and many other pro-gun Americans, the task is...

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Newtown parents reject NRA plan

NEWTOWN, Conn. When Adam Lanza started his lethal attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School, Andrei Nikitchyuk's eight year-old son and another third grader were on their way to the principal's office. It was their turn to bring the daily attendance sheet to the front office, near where principal Dawn Hochsprung and psychologist Mary Sherlach would become the first casualties inside the school. Play...

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Obama, Congress Waving Bye-Bye Lower Taxes?

The first family arrived in the president's idyllic home state of Hawaii early today to celebrate the holidays, but President Obama, who along with Michelle will pay tribute Sunday to the late Sen. Daniel Inouye at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, could be returning home to Washington sooner than he expected.That's because the President didn't get his Christmas...

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