Morning Digest: Afghan troop levels top agenda for Obama-Karzai talks

	Click to View in Browser 01/11/2013 Afghan troop levels top agenda for Obama-Karzai talks WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai will hold a critical round of talks on Friday that could help determine how fast the United States withdraws troops from Afghanistan and whether it leaves a residual force after 2014.. Rights group warns of worsening Pakistani sectarian violence QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Violence against Pakistani Shi'ite Muslims is rising and some communities are living in a state of siege, a human rights group said on Friday, warning that sectarian violence will only get worse a day after 114 people were killed in bombings.. Stock index futures point to flat open LONDON (Reuters) - Stock index futures indicated a flat-to-slightly lower open on Wall Street on Friday, with some traders citing nervousness ahead of results from financial group Wells Fargo due later in the day.. 'Argo,' 'Silver Linings Playbook' win at Critics Choice (Reuters) - Ben Affleck's Iran hostage drama "Argo," "Lincoln" star Daniel Day-Lewis and "Zero Dark Thirty"'s Jessica Chastain were among big winners at the Critics Choice Movie Awards on Thursday, taking honors for best picture, actor and actress, with Affleck nabbing the prize for best director.. Heat evaporate in tight loss to Trail Blazers (Reuters) - Guard Wesley Matthews buried successive three-pointers to cap a stunning late rally as the Portland Trail Blazers stunned the NBA champion Miami Heat with a tense 92-90 win on Thursday.. Best Buy online sales rise as Amazon collects sales tax SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Best Buy Co, the world's largest electronics retailer, said its online sales have increased in certain markets as arch rival Amazon.com Inc collects tax on purchases in more states.. DNA pioneer James Watson takes aim at "cancer establishments" NEW YORK (Reuters) - A day after an exhaustive national report on cancer found the United States is making only slow progress against the disease, one of the country's most iconic - and iconoclastic - scientists weighed in on "the war against cancer." And he does not like what he sees.. Python on a plane! Slithery stowaway shocks passengers SYDNEY (Reuters) - Passengers on a flight from Australia to Papua New Guinea were shocked to look out their cabin windows to find a huge snake on the wing of the plane.. Related Video Bombings kill more than 100 people in Pakistan Data inspires bulls; AmEx cutting jobs Great Debate New Afghan war over U.S. troop levels GOP v. Voting Rights Act A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend