Chad says its troops killed Algeria attack mastermind Belmoktar in Mali, but doubt is cast on claim

REUTERSChadian soldiers hold up their weapons as they cheer next to tanks and army vehicles ahead of their deployment in Mali. The African country said its troops killed Moktar Belmoktar, the terrorist behind the deadly attack on a natural gas plant in Algeria.N'DJAMENA, Chad — Chad's military chief announced late Saturday that his troops deployed in northern...

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Sauce for concern: Pizza poll ranks New York City behind Chicago & Providence

It’s enough to curdle your Mozzarella.A nationwide survey of readers of Travel + Lesiure magazine ranked US cities for best pizzas — and only placed New York third, behind Chicago and even Providence, R.I.Rhode Island pizza?“Whoever did this survey doesn’t know anything about pizza,” said Dan Taormina, general manager of Grimaldi’s, the celebrated pizzeria...

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'Occupy' group urging straphangers to give away MetroCards in MTA protest

An Occupy Wall Street-affiliated group called “No Fare Hikes” is calling on unlimited ride MetroCard users to give away their swipes when they reach their final destination to protest looming subway fare increases.The plan — which organizers dubbed “Swipe Back” — requires users to offer swipes to straphangers who pay per ride, thus depriving the MTA of...

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Man who shot cop he found in bed with his wife indicted for attempted murder

The Staten Island man accused of shooting an NYPD detective he found in his estranged wife’s home has been indicted in Monmouth County, New Jersey.A grand jury hit Robert Dunbar, 35, with attempted murder charges for allegedly grabbing the off-duty cop’s service weapon and firing of several shots, including one that hit the cop, Louis Pepe, in the back.Dunbar's...

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Senate confirms Hagel for defense secretary

WASHINGTON — The Senate has voted to confirm Chuck Hagel to be the nation's next defense secretary.The vote Tuesday was 58-41, with four Republicans joining Democrats in backing President Barack Obama's nominee.The vote ended a contentious fight over the president's choice for his second-term national security team.Republicans opposed the former two-term...

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Swindler cops to stealing more than $300K from elderly dementia victim

A dapper but cruel swindler admitted today that he stole more than $300,000 as the "personal banker" of a dementia-plagued, 94-year-old Manhattan woman. Edward Lewando, 52, of Holbrook, LI, spent his victim's money on himself at Bergdorf Goodman and Louis Vuitton, prosecutors with the Manhattan DA's Elder Abuse Unit said.Lewando will serve a three to nine...

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Death of ex-Post employee 'suspicious'

The death of a former New York Post employee whose body was found in her Cobble Hill apartment Friday is being investigated as suspicious, sources said. Elizabeth Borst, 55, was found on her kitchen floor after her husband, Gaetano Lisco, called neighbors and asked them to check on the victim because he couldn't reach her.Although Borst's death has not...

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Bank moves to foreclose on Kiss guitarist

YORKTOWN — One of the founding members of the rock band Kiss is in danger of losing a New York home to foreclosure.The Journal News newspaper reports that a bank initiated foreclosure proceedings on Feb. 15 on a Yorktown property owned by former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley.The three-bedroom house is in a wooded area off the Taconic State Parkway north of New York City.U.S. Bank National Association...

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Teens arrested over grade-school girls fight posted on YouTube

YouTubeTwo teens were arrested today for orchestrating a fight between two grade-school girls in The Bronx that was videotaped and posted on YouTube, police said.The girls, 14 and 15, were charged as juveniles with child endangerment, police said.The twisted viral video shows the two youngsters, 6 and 7, pulling each other’s hair and hitting one another...

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Crook who fatally shot cab driver refuses to apologize to family, gets 30 years

A defiant career criminal was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for the 2009 shooting death of a Bronx livery cab driver who refused to hand over his hard earned cash.Benny Delgado, 35, stood emotionless during the sentencing and refused to apologize to the family of Jose Pena-Segura, a father of four daughters, who died shortly after he was shot in...

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MTA veteran in $11K brass heist

An MTA worker with 31 years on the job was caught stealing $11,000 in brass subway parts, which he resold for scrap, officials said today. Keith Barton, 62, was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. He faces up to seven years in jail if convicted. A supervisor who worked with him at the Coney Island rail yard noticed that...

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Ex-cop & killer Christopher Dorner 'did his homework' cops say

Rogue former cop Christopher Jordan Dorner “did his homework,” stalking potential targets, before he was named a murder suspect and went on the run, police said today.Dorner killed four people during a 12-day terror spree that ended when who blew his brains out last week as cops cornered him in a burning mountain cabin.The disgraced former officer killed...

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NFL lineman busted with loaded pistol at JFK

A muscle-bound NFL lineman was busted at LaGuardia Airport today for packing a loaded .40 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol.Da’Quan Bowers - a second-year defensive end for the Tampa bay Buccaneers - was arrested at 11 a.m. at a US Air ticket counter as he was about to board a plane for North Carolina. Sources believe Bowers arrived in New York with the...

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Club cad bloodies Rihanna in bottle attack, after yelling something about Chris Brown: report

Startraksphotos / SplashRihanna leaves a London nightclub worse for wear after bottle attack.Bloody hell: Some lout in London crashed Rihanna's party.The sultry singer was bloodied after a man threw a bottle at her during a night out at nightclub The Box, apparently enraged because of her decision to get back together with abusive ex-boyfriend Chris Brown,...

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Upstate fire department's squirrel hunt fundraiser draws ire

HOLLEY — A weekend squirrel-shooting contest in upstate New York is a sell-out, with all 1,000 tickets spoken for, organizers said, despite a push by animal rights groups and others to cancel the event.The 7th annual "Hazzard County Squirrel Slam" will raise money for the volunteer Holley Fire Department, the event sponsor.Prizes ranging from $50 to $200...

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Stripping mom halts school assembly

ALBANY — Police say a parent who got on stage and started to strip during an upstate New York school assembly is facing child endangerment and lewdness charges.Albany police say they arrested 24-year-old Aydrea Meaders at the North Albany Academy at about 10:30 a.m. Friday.They say school staff told them the assembly was halted and the cafeteria cleared...

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Devout Catholic SI mom sues city for not allowing daughter to attend class over religious exemption

A devout Catholic mom on Staten Island is suing the city, saying her daughter was barred from attending class because the Board of Education wouldn't recognize her religious exemption from receiving required medical vaccinations.Dina Check, of West Brighton, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city accusing it of prohibiting her 5-year-old...

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JFK airport staffer allowed Kanye West and Kim Kardashian to sneak past security checkpoints

VLNY / Sharky / Splash NewsKim Kardashian and Kanye West.Celebrity lovebirds Kanye West and Kim Kardashian forced an airplane full of travelers to wait for takeoff at JFK after an airline employee allowed them to bypass security screening, sources told The Post.The stars -- who were running late for an American Airlines flight – were ushered around a security...

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Gangemi challenging Adams for Brooklyn borough president

State Sen. Eric Adams won’t have a clear path to becoming Brooklyn's next borough president after all.John Gangemi Sr., a lawyer and former at-large City Councilman during the 1970s, confirmed today he plans to make a political comeback by challenging Adams in this year’s Democratic primary.“I miss politics,” said Gangemi, 73, of Dyker Heights, who plans...

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Lindsey Vonn mending after surgery on right knee

InstagramFORT COLLINS, Colo. — The doctor who operated on Lindsey Vonn's injured right knee thinks the four-time overall World Cup champion just might return to the circuit as soon as November.That's the goal, anyway, with Vonn being back in top form by the Sochi Games, where she will try to defend her Olympic downhill title.Dr. Bill Sterett, a surgeon...

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