Why scandal-tinged Berlusconi still beloved of many Italians

ROME (Reuters) - They call themselves "the club". A doctor, a business-owner, pensioners and engineers - united by their support for one of Europe's most controversial politicians, Silvio Berlusconi."We are all Berlusconiani. We do not want Monti. We don't want someone who takes orders from Brussels," said teacher Annalisa Lillo, 49, in the Rome antiques shop where the club meets to discuss politics...

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South Africa's soothing Ramaphosa leads ANC charm offensive

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (Reuters) - South Africa's ruling ANC put its new No. 2 Cyril Ramaphosa at the head of a charm offensive on Friday as it sought to reassure both investors and a restless public it would tackle economic inequality without recourse to wholescale nationalization.Days after his appointment as party deputy to President Jacob Zuma, who was re-elected ANC chief this week, the anti-apartheid...

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S.Africa's soothing Ramaphosa leads ANC charm offensive

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (Reuters) - South Africa's ruling ANC put its new No. 2 Cyril Ramaphosa at the head of a charm offensive on Friday as it sought to reassure both investors and a restless public it would tackle economic inequality without recourse to wholescale nationalisation.Days after his appointment as party deputy to President Jacob Zuma, who was re-elected ANC chief this week, the anti-apartheid...

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Fiscal cliff setback rattles shares, euro

LONDON (Reuters) - Global stock markets weakened on Friday and both the euro and gold slipped, as a new setback in talks to avert a U.S. fiscal crisis and evidence of Europe's ongoing economic difficulties stoked investor nerves. A proposal from Republican leader John Boehner to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff failed to get support from his party on Thursday, casting fresh...

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UK data point to meager growth, public finances worsen

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's dominant services sector posted meager growth in October, which may be just enough for the economy as a whole to avoid contraction in the last three months of 2012.However, public borrowing figures also released on Friday showed that finance minister George Osborne has a lot of catching up to do to meet updated forecasts published earlier this month given the poor economic...

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Naomi Watts pulls off "The Impossible" to critical acclaim

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Days after the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, actress Naomi Watts took part in a fundraising telethon spearheaded by George Clooney to help the region's hundreds of thousands of people in 14 nations whose lives were shattered.Little did Watts know that eight years later she would be starring in "The Impossible," out in the U.S. movie theaters on Friday, about a real...

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"Zero Dark Thirty" won't be "Hurt Locker" at the Box Office

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Kathryn Bigelow's Osama bin Laden manhunt thriller "Zero Dark Thirty" hits theaters Wednesday, and when it comes to the box office, this isn't going to be "Hurt Locker."That was Bigelow's last film, a gritty Iraq war drama that upset "Avatar" for Oscar's Best Picture in 2009 but took in just $17 million domestically. "Zero Dark Thirty" could well top $100 million, say industry...

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Jonathan Groff to voice mountain man in Disney's "Frozen"

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jonathan Groff, who has taken his pristine pipes for a walk on "Glee," will voice a mountain man in "Frozen."The animated comedy adventure will hit the big screen on November 27, 2013, courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios. He joins Idina Menzel in the loose adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen."The story centers on a girl who travels across an icy...

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"Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Dirty Harry" among U.S. film treasures

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. National Film Registry on Wednesday named 25 films to be preserved as cultural treasures, ranging from Audrey Hepburn's 1961 classic "Breakfast at Tiffany's" to Clint Eastwood's "Dirty Harry" and the sci-fi action movie "The Matrix."The film list also includes the 1992 female ensemble comedy drama, "A League of Their Own," directed by Penny Marshall, and "Born Yesterday,"...

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"Les Miserables" Star Samantha Barks in Talks for 'Walking on Sunshine'

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Les Misérables" star Samantha Barks is in talks to join the cast of "Walking on Sunshine," a musical comedy set to 1980s pop songs, a person with knowledge of the situation has told TheWrap.The 22-year-old actress made her big-screen debut in Tom Hooper's screen version of "Les Miz," playing Eponine, repeating the role she played on stage in London's West End."Walking...

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