World News
In this part of my blog, I will post links to any international news stories I’ve read. Stories in my mother tongue Portuguese also count!
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Arthur Takahashi
Arthur Takahashi is the Editor-in-chief of The Johnsonian, Winthrop University's student newspaper. Arthur, who is from Brazil, came to the United States in January 2006 to play for the Winthrop tennis team and pursue his education in journalism.
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WILL U.S. REVOKE THE RIGHT OF AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP TO FOREIGNERS BORN HERE?
“A bill in the House of Representatives would change the 14th amendment to the US Constitution that grants anyone who is born on US soil the right of American citizenship. Efforts to revoke birthright citizenship could make it the new flashpoint in the debate over immigration,” according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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INDEPENDENT PAPERS GET LICENSE TO REPORT ZIMBABWE NEWS
“The first of five new independent newspapers could start reporting Zimbabwe news this weekend after receiving a government license,” according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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JAPAN’S HATOYAMA RESIGNS, DOGGED BY OKINAWA BASE DISPUTE
“Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Wednesday he would resign after coming under fire for weak leadership and reneging on a promise to move a US military base off Okinawa island,” according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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U.S. RESPONSE TO ISRAEL’S FLOTILLA RAID WILL SHAPE THE MIDDLE EAST
“Turkey’s Suat Kiniklioglu says this Israeli government has gone too far,” according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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FEDS HAVE LAUNCHED CRIMINAL OIL SPILL INVESTIGATION, AG SAYS
“U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday the Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into the massive oil spill spreading through the Gulf of Mexico,” according to the CNN Web site.
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TROPICAL STORM AGATHA FLOODS KILL 150, CAUSE GIAN SINKHOLE IN GUATEMALA CITY
“Villagers have been buried alive in Guatemala. Residents, caked in mud, have searched in the wreckage of their homes for loved ones. Aerial photos show entire swaths of the nation’s coffee crop under water. Then, there’s the giant Guatemala City sinkhole,” according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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ISRAELI RAID ON FLOTILLA: AN INTENTIONAL MESSAGE FOR GAZA AND THE REST OF THE WORLD
“On Monday Israeli commandos boarded one of the civilian passenger ships that was part of the ‘freedom flotilla’ sailing to break Israel’s siege on Gaza and opened fire, killing at least nine and injuring many others. My first reaction was, as respected New York Times columnist Nick Kristof tweeted, that ‘Israel wldn’t be that stupid,’” according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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FROM THE IRANIANS’ VIEWPOINT: WHAT WOULD YOU THINK?
“Imagine you were born in Tehran. In your first geography class the teacher shows that your country, Iran, is one of the richest in the world with the third greatest petroleum reserve on the planet. Then, he opens a map. On each side are two countries occupied by the United States: Afghanistan and Iraq. Above and below, three nuclear powers: India, Pakistan and Russia,” according to the Watching America Web site.
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OBAMA IN SOUTH AFRICA: ‘NO, WE CAN’T’
“The South African police pray that American president Barack Obama does not attend his team’s matches during the World Cup,” according to the Watching America Web site.
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THE MEXICAN TRAGEDY
“The special report series “Mexico at War,” published on Sunday in this newspaper, shows the weakness of the state institutions of this big nation, invaded by drug cartels,” according to the Watching America Web site.
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UK GOVERNMENT REVEALS SIZE OF ITS NUCLEAR STOCKPILE
“Britain offered its first accounting of its nuclear arsenal Wednesday, revealing that it has a stockpile of 225 warheads in a move that offers transparency to non-nuclear states in hopes of winning stricter global controls on the spread of atomic weapons,” according to The Rock Hill Herald Web site.
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VIENNA TOPS WORLD’S BEST CITIES SURVEY
“Vienna, the Austrian capital renowned for its music and architecture, has the best quality of life of any city in the world, according to results of a survey released Wednesday,” according to the CNN Web site.
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GAY MALAWI COUPLE SEPARATED IN PRISON
“One of two gay men jailed in Malawi after they got engaged has been transferred to another prison, a human rights campaigner and gay rights activist said Wednesday,” according to the CNN Web site.
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MADAGASCAN BIRD DECLARED EXTINCT
“The Alaotra Grebe, a small diving bird native to Madagascar has been officially classified extinct, according to a leading bird conservation organization,” according to the CNN Web site.
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WITNESS: SECRET IRAQ PRISON FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN
“Iraq’s Muthanna Army base has women and children in a secret prison, says an Iraqi eyewitness. He says some are family members of Al Qaeda suspect and are used to extract confessions,’ according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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WHY MEXICO WELCOMES OBAMA’S PLAN TO SEND 1,200 U.S. TROOPS TO BORDER
“Departing from its complaints about the Arizona immigration law, Mexico cautiously welcomes President Barack Obama’s plan to send 1,200 troops to the border,’ according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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CAN THE EUROPEAN UNION SURVIVE A DEBT CRISIS?
“As differences persist over how to handle the debt crisis, momentum builds among European Union nations to either drop the euro or form new currency alliances.” according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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NORTH KOREA: OBAMA’S ‘DUMB WAR’?
“The same Obama who railed against Bush’s ‘unwise’ war in Iraq is helping to escalate tensions between North and South Korea,” according to The Guardian Web Site.
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REPORT: PALESTINIAN SEX TRAFFICKING EXISTS
“It’s a subject seldom addressed publicly in the Palestinian territories, but for the first time, a report is lifting the veil on the taboo topic of female trafficking and forced prostitution — and calling for action to stop it,” according to the CNN Web site.
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CHINA CHAMA ENVIADO DOS EUA DE “IRRESPONSAVEL”
“A China disse na sexta-feira que o representante norte-americano na conferência climática de Copenhague é “extremamente irresponsável” ou não tem bom senso por ter dito que nenhuma ajuda climática dos EUA irá para a China,” de acordo com o Web site UOL.
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U.N.: CLIMATE CHANGE HITS WOMEN HARD
“On the steep, dusty slopes of the Chacaltaya mountains, thousands of meters above sea level in the Bolivian Andes, the hardy farmers tending root crops or herding llamas have no need of scientists or climatologists to measure the impact of global warming,” according to the CNN Web site.
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WOULD RUSSIA REALLY USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS AGAINST NEIGHBORS?
“A new Russian doctrine – which says it can use nuclear weapons preemptively against small regional adversaries – is seen either as a sign of aggression or bluster to mask insecurity,” according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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AT UN FOOD SUMMIT, BAN KI-MOON WARNS OF RISE IN CHILD HUNGER DEATHS
“Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned at UN food summit in Rome that 6 million children die of hunger a year, but critics say new money to tackle the problem is unlikely,” according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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ISRAEL REJECTS PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD BID VIA THE UN
“Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a new Palestinian plan to seek unilateral statehood through a UN Security Council vote. Palestinian leaders say the US and Israel leave them with no other option,” according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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THE U.S AND CHINA ARE CO-DEPENDENT
“Barack Obama must have had a tough time fulfilling all the expectations heaped upon him. He was charming to Chinese students, who are normally quite courageous people – especially during such events. He engaged in a little courteous criticism to maintain his image for the folks back home and to still get a little cooperation out of the Chinese leadership. The Chinese are a friendly people, so they smiled. But both the U.S. and China are still dependent on one another,” according to the Watching America Web site.
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OBAMA, HATOYAMA MEET CRUCIAL FOR U.S. AND JAPAN
“The two leaders both achieved change of government by gaining wide public support, and the two are also facing a harsh gap between campaign promises and reality.
“Obama is in the midst of trying to convince Congress to back health-care reform. The situation in Afghanistan, which he called the main battleground in the war on terror, has deteriorated and now is turning into a quagmire.
“Hatoyama is in the midst of rearranging the national budget to focus more on “people, not concrete.” He also finds himself in a difficult position over his campaign promise to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa Prefecture to a location outside the prefecture, or outside the country,” according to The Asahi Shimbun Web site.
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RAPE A WEAPON OF WAR IN CONGO, ACTIVISTS SAY
“Rape has turned into a weapon of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the number of attacks on women having grown threefold over the past few years, human rights activists said Friday,” according to the CNN Web site.
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BRASIL: LULA PODE TER QUARTA MAIOR ECONOMIA MUNDIAL
“O presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva afirmou nesta segunda-feira (19) que a economia brasileira pode superar a expectativa do Banco Mundial de que seja a quinta maior do mundo em 2016. Segundo Lula, o país pode ficar na quarta posição caso as empresas mantenham altos índices de investimento,” de acordo com o Web site UOL.
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22-INCH NEPAL MAN SAYS HE’S GROWN INTO RECORD BOOK
“Now that he’s all grown up, 18-year-old Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal wants the world to know just how tiny he is,” according to The Rock Hill Herald Web site.
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NASA FLIES OVER ANTARCTICA TO MEASURE ICEMELT
“Hoping to better understand how a melting Antarctica could swamp the planet, a NASA plane outfitted with lasers and ground-penetrating radar made its first flight over the icy continent on Friday,” according to The Rock Hill Herald Web site.
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ZIMBABWE OPPOSITION BOYCOTTS UNITY GOVERNMENT
“Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai laid out a broad array of grievances against President Robert Mugabe’s party,” according to The New York Times Web site.
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5 CONVICTED IN AUSTRALIA TERROR PLOT
“Five men were convicted Friday of plotting a terrorist attack by stockpiling bomb-making instructions and purchasing explosive chemicals in Australia’s largest terrorist conspiracy,” according to The New York Times Web site.
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CLINTON CRITICIZES BUSH OVER AFGHAN WAR
“Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday that President Bush’s administration was ‘unrealistic’ in its dealings with the war in Afghanistan,” according to the CNN Web site.
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BOMB KILLS 4 U.S. TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN
“Four U.S. service members died in a roadside bombing attack, and two civilians were killed in crossfire during a military operation, military authorities in Afghanistan said Friday,” according to the CNN Web site.
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WORLD CUP BID UNITES HONDURANS DIVIDED BY COUP
“A soccer victory that clinched Honduras’ first trip to the World Cup in 30 years is giving its people an exhilarating distraction from the divisive political crisis that has gripped the country for the last 3 1/2 months,” according to The Herald Web site.
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SPAIN SHORTENS LONG ARM OF JUSTICE
“Spain’s Parliament approved a law Thursday narrowing the scope of a cross-border justice doctrine which had allowed judges to indict people like Augusto Pinochet and Osama bin Laden,” according to The Herald Web site.
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HAVEL: CZECH LEADER IS DAMAGING THE COUNTRY
“Vaclav Havel, who led the 1989 Velvet Revolution that peacefully toppled communism in the former Czechoslovakia, accused his presidential successor on Thursday of damaging the country by refusing to sign the EU reform treaty,” according to The Herald Web site.
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UN SAYS ISRAEL, PALESTINIANS COMMITTED WAR CRIMES
“The U.N.’s top human rights official backed a report Thursday accusing Israeli forces and Palestinian militants of war crimes during their conflict in Gaza last winter,’ according to The Herald Web site.
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UK FAR-RIGHT PARTY TO ALLOW NONWHITE MEMBERS
“The far-right British National Party says it plans to change its constitution to let nonwhite people become members,” according to The Herald Web site.
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INTERNATIONAL COURT INVESTIGATES GUINEA VIOLENCE
“The International Criminal Court said Thursday it has launched a preliminary investigation into violence that erupted last month at a sports stadium in the west African nation of Guinea,” according to The Herald Web site.
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ARCHEOLOGISTS FIND ‘LOST’ MINI ROMAN COLISEUM
“Under a canopy of elegant Italian pines, the foundations of a mini Roman Coliseum are at once unmistakable and exhilarating,” according to the CNN Web site.
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CHINA SECOND TO U.S. IN BILLIONAIRES
“China ranks second only to the United States in the number of billionaires, according to an annual report of the 1,000 richest people in the country,” according to the CNN Web site.
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CLINTON: U.S., RUSSIA MUST GO BEYOND COLD WAR
“An impassioned U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking to students at Moscow State University on Wednesday, admonished those in the U.S. and Russian governments who haven’t moved beyond a Cold War mentality,” according to the CNN Web site.
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FRENCH MILITARY FENDS OFF PIRATE ATTACK
“The French military fended off a pirate attack on two fishing boats, hundreds of miles off the coast of east Africa, a French Defense Ministry spokesman said Tuesday,” according to the CNN Web site.
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BRASIL GANHA VAGA TEMPORARIA NO CONSELHO DE SEGURANCA DA ONU
“A Assembleia Geral da ONU elegeu hoje o Brasil para que ocupe durante o biênio 2010-2011 uma das duas vagas não-permanentes no Conselho de Segurança das Nações Unidas (CS) reservados à América Latina e ao Caribe,” de acordo com o Web site UOL.
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RUSSIA RESISTS U.S. ON IRAN SANCTIONS
“Russia opposes the threat of sanctions against Iran, the foreign minister said after a discussion with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton,” according to the New York Times Web site.
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CONTINENTAL DIVIDE: RUSSIA GAS PIPELINE HEIGHTENS EAST EUROPE”S FEARS
“With a new pipeline planned along the bed of the Baltic Sea, the Russian natural gas giant Gazprom is driving a wedge between Eastern and Western Europe,” according to the New York Times Web site.
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BRITAIN’S EXPENSE SCANDAL HITS BROWN’S WALLET
“Prime Minister Gordon Brown has to write a personal check for nearly $20,000 to repay the treasury,” according to the New York Times Web site.
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TOKYO JOURNAL: TAKING ON SKYSCRAPERS TO PROTECT VIEW OF AN ‘OLD FRIEND’
“Residents of Tokyo’s old Nippori neighborhood are trying to stop development of high-rises to preserve a view of Mount Fuji, Japan’s pre-eminent national symbol,” according to the New York Times Web site.
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CIRQ DU SOLEIL RETURNS FROM SPACE
“Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte, sporting a foam clown nose, landed back on Earth after a $35 million working vacation at the international space station. Laliberte is the first Canadian private space explore,” according to the CNN Web site.
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BRASILEIROS QUE VIVEM EM HONDURAS DEFENDEM NOVAS ELEICOES PARA POR FIM A CRISE POLITICA
“Reunidos em uma associação organizada, os brasileiros defendem a realização de novas eleições presidenciais, no dia 29 de novembro, como única alternativa para por fim ao impasse político que domina o país,” de acordo com o Web site UOL.
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BOMB AT U.N. FOOD OFFICE IN PAKISTAN KILLS AT LEAST 5
“An explosion apparently caused by a suicide bomber in the lobby of the World Food Program office in Islamabad killed at least five people,” according to The New York Times Web site.
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GREEK SOCIALISTS WIN IN A LANDSLIDE
“The Socialist party trounced a center-right government crippled by corruption scandals and the economic crisis,” according to The New York Times Web site.
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OLIMPIADA CONSOLIDA ASCENSAO DO BRASIL, DIZ WALL STREET JOURNAL
“Nos Estados Unidos, o Wall Street Journal lembra que a escolha ‘traz os Jogos para a América do Sul pela primeira vez e cristaliza a ascensão do Brasil como poder econômico e político,’” de acordo com o Web site UOL.
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ONU DIZ QUE IMIGRACAO TEM CUSTO ZERO AOS PAISES RICOS DEFENDE O FIM DAS BARREIRAS
“Os imigrantes aumentam a produtividade econômica dos países que os recebem com custo irrelevante ou inexistente para os cidadãos nativos e são uma forte influência para o desenvolvimento humano dos países de origem,” de acordo com o Web site UOL.
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VENEZUELANS PROTEST JAILING OF CHAVEZ OPPONENTS
“Some 2,000 people marched across Venezuela’s capital Saturday to protest what they say is the persecution of President Hugo Chavez’s opponents,” according to The Rock Hill Herald Web site.
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SOCIALISTS FAVORED TO WIN GREECE’S ELECTION
“Greeks vote Sunday in a general election that is likely to result in a change in government,” according to The Rock Hill Herald Web site.
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GUINEA SEETHES AS A CAPTAIN RULES AT GUNPOINT
“Three days after the massacre Monday in which as many as 157 people died protesting Captain Camara’s military rule, he rambled on to a gathering of reporters till nearly midnight as aides fidgeted under giant portraits of their leader. Then he offered to send the reporters to nightclubs,” according to the CNN Web site.
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OBAMA PERDE MAIS QUE CANDIDATURA POLITICA, AFIRMAM CRITICOS
“Críticos americanos definiram hoje que a derrota da candidatura de Chicago aos jogos de 2016 significa uma humilhação e afetou a imagem do presidente dos Estados Unidos, Barack Obama, como governante e orador,” de acordo com o Web site UOL.
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PROTESTERS: ECUADOR CLASH A SIGN OF ‘CIVIL WAR’
“Other riches and natural resources in the Amazon area, such as precious metals, water and oil, have ignited an intense conflict between the government and indigenous communities that spilled into violence this week,” according to the CNN Web site.
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CENSUS: U.S. IMMIGRANT POPULATION FLAT
“After nearly 40 years of recorded increases, the number of immigrants living in the United States remained flat between 2007 and 2008, recent statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau show,” according to the CNN Web site.
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RIO GANHA OLIMPIADAS DE 2016
“Depois de três tentativas fracassadas, o Brasil finalmente ganhou a disputa pela sede dos Jogos Olímpicos,” de acordo com o Web site UOL.
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RIO DE JANEIRO WINS OUT AS HOST OF 2016 OLYMPICS
“Rio will be the first South American city to host the Games. Chicago’s loss is a disappointment to President Obama, who traveled to Copenhagen to promote the US bid,” according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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HONDURAS HARDLINER MICHELETTI SOFTENS HIS STANCE
“Interim Honduran leader Roberto Micheletti dramatically dialed back his tough rhetoric on Monday, one day after issuing a draconian decree to curb civil liberties,” according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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HAMAS, FATAH CLOSE IN ON RECONCILIATION DEAL
“Hamas agreed ‘in principle’ to an Egyptian proposal Monday that would give Palestinians a united front in peace talks with Israel,” according to the Christian Science Monitor Web site.
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U.S.: IRAN MUST CHANGE OR ‘PAY PRICE’
“A recently revealed nuclear facility in Iran will be the centerpiece of talks in Switzerland among representatives of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, Germany and Iran’s nuclear chief,” according to the CNN Web site.
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INDONESIA QUAKE KILSS 500
“Another strong earthquake rocked Indonesia early today as the Southeast Asian nation was reeling from an earlier jolt that killed more than 500 people and caused widespread destruction. Officials fear the death toll may climb into the thousands,” according to the CNN Web site.
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POLL: MONEY IS WORLD’S GREATEST CAUSE OF STRESS
“A new international poll has revealed that money is the main cause of stress in most countries — but men and women often don’t worry about the same things,” according to the CNN Web site.