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AP Top News at 2:05 p.m. EST - November 25

Obama promises to 'finish the job' in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (AP) - Signaling he's decided on new troop levels for the Afghanistan war, President Barack Obama said Tuesday he intends to "finish the job" on his watch and destroy terrorist networks in the region. The president said he would reveal his decision on how many additional soldiers to deploy to Afghanistan after Thanksgiving. The White House is aiming for an announcement by Obama either Tuesday or Wednesdayin a national address. Congressional hearings will quickly follow.

Man says through aide leaving coma like rebirth

BRUSSELS (AP) - With a caretaker holding his hand, a Belgian man who was diagnosed as comatose for 23 years typed out a message Tuesday that he felt reborn after decades of loneliness and frustration. A leading bioethicist, however, expressed skepticism that the man was truly communicating on his own.

Reports on GDP and consumers signal modest rebound

WASHINGTON (AP) - The economy is growing modestly, with consumers too wary about spending to invigorate the recovery. That's the picture that emerged from reports Tuesday on the economy and the confidence of consumers, who power 70 percent of it.

Fed says jobless rate to drop 'slowly'

WASHINGTON (AP) -The Federal Reserve says the unfolding recovery will probably be gradual, as modest growth keeps the nation's unemployment rate elevated over the next several years. Most Fed policymakers say it could take "five or six years" for the economy and the labor market to get back on a path of full health.

Obama: US-Indian ties help define 21st century

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama declared Tuesday that U.S. ties with India will be "one of the defining relationships" of the 21st century as he welcomed India's prime minister for the first state visit of his administration. At the conclusion of about two hours of talks, Obama said he and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had agreed to "work even closer" on sharing information between law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Singh promised increased cooperation with Washington to battle terrorism.

SC legislators begin Sanford impeachment hearings

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina legislators upset with Gov. Mark Sanford's summer disappearance to see his lover in Argentina on Tuesday began debating a measure that ultimately would remove him from office. The Republican faces new ethics charges about his travel and campaign finances. But the panel of the House Judiciary Committee that's debating impeachment are focused this week on his five-day absence in June and problems directly related to it, including the failure to put someone in charge of the state while he was gone.

Festival of mass animal sacrifice begins in Nepal

BARIYAPUR, Nepal (AP) - The ceremony began with prayers in a temple by tens of thousands of Hindus before dawn Tuesday. Then it shifted to a nearby corral, where in the cold morning mist, scores of butchers wielding curved swords began slaughtering buffalo calves by hacking off their heads. Over two days, 200,000 buffaloes, goats, chickens and pigeons will be killed as part of a blood-soaked festival held every five years to honor Gadhimai, a Hindu goddess of power.

Furry felons rob SAfrican tourists, steal food

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) - Visitors to South Africa's premier holiday destination who are worried about becoming victims of the country's high crime rate could find themselves instead robbed by a more furry kind of felon: baboons. The cheeky primates have learned how to open car doors and jump through windows in pursuit of tasty sandwiches and snacks.

ABC's 'Good Morning America' cancels Lambert

NEW YORK (AP) - ABC's "Good Morning America" is saying "no thanks" to Adam Lambert. The morning show canceled the glam rocker's scheduled performance on Wednesday's show because of Lambert's racy appearance on the "American Music Awards" on Sunday night. ABC said it doesn't think Lambert's performance would be appropriate for a morning audience.

Albert Pujols wins 2nd straight NL MVP award

NEW YORK (AP) - Albert Pujols is the unanimous winner of the National League MVP award, becoming the first player to repeat since Barry Bonds won four in a row from 2001-04. Pujols received all 32 first-place votes and 448 points in balloting announced Tuesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

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