Morning Digest: Hagel to face grilling by Senate panel on Mideast, budget

	Click to View in Browser 01/31/2013 Hagel to face grilling by Senate panel on Mideast, budget WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chuck Hagel will face tough questions on Pentagon spending cuts and U.S. relations with Israel and Iran on Thursday as he faces a deeply skeptical Senate panel considering his nomination to be President Barack Obama's next secretary of defense.. Syrian rebels make slow headway in south AMMAN (Reuters) - The revolt against President Bashar al-Assad first flared in Deraa, but the southern border city now epitomizes the bloody stalemate gripping Syria after 22 months of violence and 60,000 dead.. Stock futures mixed, eyes on Facebook PARIS (Reuters) - Stock futures pointed to a mixed open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.04 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.04 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.31 percent at 5:33 a.m. ET.. Despite previous beating, Rihanna back with Chris Brown NEW YORK (Reuters) - It's official: R&B diva Rihanna says she is back together with Chris Brown, who is still on probation for assaulting her in 2009, saying "It's different now.". Sterne leaves Westwood and O'Meara trailing in his wake DUBAI (Reuters) - South Africa's Richard Sterne fired a scintillating 10-under-par 62 in the Dubai Desert Classic first round on Thursday to overshadow a fine start to the season by world number eight Lee Westwood.. BSkyB to offer sports channels online for daily fee LONDON (Reuters) - BSkyB will offer its popular sports channels online for a daily fee, seeking new customers to offset slowing growth at its core pay-TV service amid sluggish consumer spending.. South Korea launches first civilian rocket amid tensions with North SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea launched its first space rocket carrying a science satellite on Wednesday amid heightened regional tensions, caused in part, by North Korea's successful launch of its own rocket last month.. Dr. Phil says Manti Te'o hoaxer admits to love for linebacker LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California man who has admitted to fabricating Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend in an elaborate hoax told talk show host Phil McGraw he felt a deep romantic love for the football player, McGraw said on Wednesday.. Related Video Gabrielle Giffords,NRA head at gun control hearing Facebook finds a friend in advertisers Great Debate Focus on new legislative approach Delegate the oversight formula 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