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Kaka First to Top $7 Million in MLS Earnings

Kaka is set to be Major League Soccer's highest-paid player with a base salary of $6.6 million from Orlando City, according to figures released Monday by the players' union.

Including a prorated share of compensation not specified to a specific year, the Brazilian attacker's total earnings rise to a league-record $7,167,500.

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Obama Cheers 'Historic' Signing of Afghan Security Agreement

Afghanistan and the United States on Tuesday signed a deal to allow about 10,000 U.S. troops to stay in the country next year, as new President Ashraf Ghani took a major step towards mending frayed ties with Washington.

Hamid Karzai, who stood down as president on Monday, had refused to sign the deal -- a disagreement that symbolized the breakdown of Afghan-U.S. relations after the optimism of 2001 when the Taliban were ousted from power.

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Big Smile in Denver Bank Robbery Suspect Mug Shot

The mug shot of a man captured after trying to flee a bank robbery in Denver shows him flashing a broad, toothy grin.

The photo was taken after 45-year-old Michael Whitington's Sept. 23 arrest. Police say he robbed a bank on Denver's 16th Street pedestrian mall and then tried to get away on a light-rail train. Officers stopped the train a few blocks away and arrested him.

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U.N. Mission to Combat Ebola Opens HQ in Ghana

The U.N. mission to combat Ebola opened its headquarters on Monday in Ghana, where it will coordinate international aid to assist West Africa to combat the accelerating crisis.

This outbreak has spiraled into the worst ever for Ebola, and the World Health Organization says it is has linked more than 3,000 deaths to the disease. Even that frightening figure is likely an underestimate of the true toll, said WHO. Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea have been hit hardest. Senegal and Nigeria have also been touched, but have not reported a new case in weeks.

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Van Gogh Still Life Coming to Auction in NYC

A bouquet of wildflowers painted by Vincent van Gogh weeks before his death is going on the auction block in New York City.

Sotheby's says "Still Life, Vase With Daisies and Poppies" could sell for $30 million to $50 million on Nov. 4.

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Stars at S. Laurent, Valli Makes Clooney Wife Coup

Beginning with Stella McCartney and ending with powerhouse Saint Laurent, Paris fashion shows packed a creative punch Monday — luring in myriad front row stars such as Salma Hayek, Lenny Kravitz, Catherine Deneuve and Neneh Cherry.

But there was also much happening off the catwalk.

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Amanda Bynes Arrested for DUI in Los Angeles

Former actress Amanda Bynes was arrested early Sunday morning on suspicion of driving while under the influence of a drug, authorities said Monday.

Bynes, 28, was stopped by a California Highway Patrol officer after she stopped in the middle of an intersection in Los Angeles around 4 a.m. on Sunday. The former child star was determined to be under the influence of an unidentified drug after being evaluated at a nearby police station, the CHP said in a statement.

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Mexican's 'Harry Potter' Hoard is World's Biggest

A Mexico City man is in Hogwarts heaven after his collection of "Harry Potter" memorabilia was named the world's largest.

Menahem Asher Silva Vargas has spent nearly 15 years hoarding all things related to British author J.K. Rowling's young-adult wizard-fantasy series, which spawned eight blockbuster films.

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Debut Fiction Writer Wins $25,000 Bingham Prize

The author of the story collection "Godforsaken Idaho" has won a $25,000 prize.

Shawn Vestal is the winner of the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for debut fiction. He was to receive the award Monday at a New York ceremony organized by the PEN American Center, the literary and human rights organization.

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Nicole Kidman Reveals Heartbreak at Father's Death

Actress Nicole Kidman on Tuesday broke her public silence since the death of her father more than two weeks ago by sharing her heartbreak and thanking well-wishers for their comforting thoughts and prayers.

"We would just like to thank everyone for their love and prayers over these past couple of weeks," Kidman and her singer husband Keith Urban said in a joint statement posted on their Facebook pages.

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