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>>Burundi - A day after the Forces for National Liberation, the remaining active rebel group, agreed to implement a peace deal, Burundi's army killed 50 FNL fighters in a gun fight outside of Bujumbura. Both sides claim they were provoked. The people of Burundi have suffered under a decade-long civil war between the Hutu majority and Tutsi minority that has left over 300,000 dead.
>>Israel - Celebrations have begun in Israel to mark its 60th anniversary. President Bush will visit next week. Palestinians, on the other hand, are holding solemn marches in the West Bank to mark the day they call al-Nakba, or "the Catastrophe." The celebrations are also overshadowed by a continuing corruption probe against Prime Minister Olmert, which prompted him to cancel the customary interviews granted to local media on independence day.
Africa
- Somalia - Watchdog slams attack on Somali woman journalist
- Congo - Congo factions still recruiting child fighters: U.N.
- Kuwait - Pentagon confirms ex-Guantanamo detainee carried out Iraq bombing
- Zimbabwe - Post-Election Violence Worsens in Zimbabwe
- Somalia - Roadside bomb kills 8 troops in Somalia
- Sudan - U.N. chief condemns recent Darfur bombings
- Burundi - Burundi army and rebels clash, 52 killed: army
- Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe 'too violent for poll'
- Chile - Families refuse to flee Chilean volcano eruption
- Cuba - Cuban blogger given press award
- Mexico - Senior Mexico policeman dies despite army presence
- Argentina - Ash Cloud Grounds Flights as It Spreads
- Colombia - Colombian Commander Extradited to U.S. After Leniency Deal Collapses
- Haiti - Haitian Senate approves new prime minister
- Argentina - Argentina farm talks break down
- Chile - Fresh fears over Chilean volcano
- Myanmar - Burma allows UN flight but not visas
- Taiwan - Taiwanese ministers quit over missing millions
- China - China Olympics tickets sold out
- Japan - Magnitude 6.7 earthquake jolts eastern Japan
- Myanmar - French Official Urges U.N. to Force Aid on Myanmar
- China - Chinese orchestra plays for Pope
- Myanmar - Stricken Storm Survivors Find Way to High Ground
- North Korea - U.S. envoy returns to N.Korea to extract nuclear list
- Malaysia - Malaysia woman scores rare legal win to quit Islam
- Japan - Campus protests as China's Hu courts Japan public
- China - Olympic torch reaches Everest peak
- Philippines - Bomb Kills Three in Philippines
- Germany - Germany bans far-right groups
- Ireland - Cowen Elected Prime Minister of Ireland
- Italy - Berlusconi Chooses Cabinet, Reuniting a Familiar Cast
- Spain - Navy accused of deadly attack on migrant boat
- Iran - British Court Reject Terrorist Label for Iranian Group
- Iraq - Iraq urges Iran, U.S. to hold talks
- Lebanon - Lebanese opposition threatens to extend protests
- Yemen - Two Japanese women kidnapped in Yemen
- Israel - Israel 'to compromise for peace'
- Iraq - White House tells court of missing emails from beginning of Iraq war
- Iraq - A DIY journalist's account of what he saw in Iraq
- Syria - Atomic Agency Seeks Answers
- Israel - Israel begins 60th celebrations
- Lebanon - Lebanon violence spreads beyond Beirut
Posted by Matthew Cordell at 8:21 AM | Comments (0)
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>>Chile - The once-thought-dormant Chaitén volcano in southern Chile erupted again yesterday, blasting ash and lava dozens of miles into the air. Residents living withing a 30-mile radius were evacuated, and, with the help of navy warships, moved to Patagonia. Since it began on Friday, the eruption has covered a 60-square-mile block with 15 inches of ash, destroying farmland, rendering the air unbreathable, contaminated water supplies, and making rescue efforts difficult.
>>Myanmar - As the death toll in the wake of Cyclone Nargis (damage graphic) rises to 22,500, Myanmar's military junta is experiencing increased pressure from abroad to further open its doors to international aid. The World Food Program has said that as many as a million people have lost their homes. Over 24 million people live in the declared disaster areas. A UN assessment team is still waiting on their visas. Some, including President Bush speaking yesterday in Washington, have also taken the opportunity to press on political reforms.
- Significant Progress in Sierra Leone
- Bears and Bugs
- Obama's Influence in Nigeria?
- The Necessity of a Building
- Major UN Renovation Officially Underway
Africa
- South Africa - South Africa seeks new laws to fight terror financing
- South Africa - Zuma deputy poised to become MP
- Rwanda - Kenya freezes assets of top Rwanda genocide suspect
- Sudan - U.N. seeks urgent access to Darfur bombing victims
- Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe observers question presidential results
- Somalia - Food Prices Set Off Second Day of Unrest
- Nigeria - Niger Delta push for US mediator
- Ecuador - Ecuadoreans may force out US military
- Brazil - Brazil jury absolves rancher in murder of U.S. nun
- Columbia - U.S. Accuses Russian of Arms Smuggling
- Mexico - Mexican Drug Cartels Making Audacious Pitch for Recruits
- Myanmar - As Myanmar Reels, Election Is Delayed in Some Areas
- Myanmar - Aid Faces Difficulties Reaching Remote Myanmar Regions
- North Korea - US plans to send envoy to North Korea for nuclear talks
- China - China hits at Baxter in heparin probe
- Japan - After panda goodwill, Japan, China tackle disputes
- China - Deadly China child virus won't be another SARS: doctor
- Hong Kong - HK to introduce competition law
- Italy - Italy facing heavy fines over mounting rubbish piles in Naples
- Poland - Conditions Set for Planned U.S. Missile Shield
- Germany - Germany bans far-right groups
- Lebanon - Beirut to axe Hezbollah telecoms
- Iraq - 'Saddam's jail diaries' published
- Israel - Olmert Tied to New York Developer in Scandal
- Iraq - Greek Islands, Overwhelmed by Refugees, Seek Help
- Lebanon - Anti-government protesters paralyze Beirut
- Israel - Palestinians see peace deal delay if Olmert quits
- Iran - Iran hardliners criticize Khatami's 'insulting' speech
Posted by Matthew Cordell at 9:04 AM | Comments (0)
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The death toll in Myanmar is now over 22,000.
>>China/Japan - Hu Jintao arrived in Japan today for the first visit by a Chinese president in a decade. He will spend five days in Japan; to kill the time there is even a scheduled game of ping pong with the Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. Last year, China became Japan's biggest trading partner, eclipsing the U.S. Controversial issues, like Japan's wartime record, Taiwan, and Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the Security Council, will be avoided, despite the fact that recent polling shows that the Japanese want their government to take a harder line on China. The big question is whether Hu will offer Japan another panda to replace Ling Ling.
>>Iran - Yesterday Iran called off a pending fourth round of talks with the U.S. that was intended to address security in Iraq. The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said that continued talks "make no sense" as long as the U.S. continues attacks in Sadr City, a stronghold of the Shia Mahdi Army. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said, oddly, "It is meaningless to have talks on anything with Iran as long as they don't change their behavior. That said, we have continued to be willing and ready, and are willing and ready, to have additional discussions with the Iranians through this tripartite channel."
- No Fuel, No Food
- UN stands ready to assist after deadly cyclone batters Myanmar
- Lies and the Lying Liars
- No Fuel, No Food
- UN stands ready to assist after deadly cyclone batters Myanmar
- Lies and the Lying Liars
Africa
- Sudan - Sudan bombs Darfur school and market, 13 killed
- Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe election body to decide poll date soon
- South Africa - Mbeki releases report on controversial crime unit
- Ghana - Ghana sets curfew after five killed in tribal clash
- Rwanda - Rwanda official in genocide trial
- Kenya - Scarred by Strife After Election, Kenya Begins to Heal
- Somalia - Troops Fire on Rioters in Somalia, Killing 2
- Chile - Erupting volcano prompts new evacuation in Chile
- Haiti - Haiti riot instigators set deadline to install PM
- Bolivia - Crisis in Bolivia after vote for autonomy
- Mexico - 16 Are Killed as Gunmen Seek Rancher in Mexico
- Guatemala - Guatemala halts foreign adoptions
- Japan - China-Japan goodwill summit contends with rifts
- Taiwan - Taiwan Vice Premier Suspected of Corruption
- Japan - Gallows broadcast shocks Japan into debating the death penalty
- Myanmar - Myanmar believes 13,000 dead, missing from cyclone
- China - Dalai Lama envoy upbeat on China talks; expects more
- China - Virus epidemic kills 26 toddlers in China
- Philippines - Philippines, Peru lauded for child health progress
- South Korea - South Korea's bird flu outbreak spreads to Seoul
- Japan - Japan Steadily Becoming a Land Of Few Children
- Indonesia - Indonesia mulls Opec withdrawal
- Indonesia - Gold Miners Die in Landslide in Indonesia
- China - China shrugs off report of tropical nuclear sub base
- Serbia - Serbia's pro-Western president gets death threats
- Italy - Neo-Nazi killing puts spotlight on Italian militants
- France - Le Monde journalists in third strike
Posted by Matthew Cordell at 8:39 AM | Comments (0)
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>>Iraq - According to four Shi'ite militiamen captured in Iraq and questioned separately, Hezbollah has been training Iraqi militiamen at a base near Tehran. The U.S. has made such accusations in the past, and Iran has denied those accusations. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced Sunday that Iraq would launch its own investigation into the matter.
>>Somalia - Tens of thousands of people rioted today in Mogadishu over high food prices. The riot began with the refusal of traders to accept old 1,000-shilling notes, which they claim are worsening inflation.
>>Bolivia - Yesterday, Bolivia's richest region, Santa Cruz, voted overwhelmingly for autonomy in a referendum boycotted by supporters of Evo Morales. The vote, the first of four on greater autonomy for eastern provinces, is seen as a rejection of Morales's leftist reforms. Morales has said that, because of the boycott, the vote is invalid.
Africa
- Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe opposition mulls conditions for run-off
- Nigeria - Nigeria oil rebels say mulling Obama truce appeal
- Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe teachers threaten strike
- Sudan - Sudan to ask donors for $6 bln at Oslo meeting
- Chile - Chilean volcano erupts after 2,000 years of silence
- Brazil - Search continues for Britons missing in Brazil
- U.S. - US 'to send 7,000 extra troops to Afghanistan'
- Mexico - Mexico Cites Reprisals in Killings of 9 Officers
- Bolivia - Clashes Break Out as Bolivian Province Votes on More Autonomy
- U.S. - Outrage over plans to extract uranium ore from the Grand Canyon
- Malaysia - Malaysia plans women travel curb
- Indonesia - Asian nations to work together on rice
- China - Olympic Torch Begins Three-Month Relay Through China's Cities
- Taiwan - Awaiting Tourism Deal, Taiwan Is Primed for More Mainland Chinese Visitors
- China - Hundreds protest against China chemical plant
- East Timor - Indonesia extradites East Timor army rebels
- Indonesia - Indonesia detains militant over 2005 Bali bombings
- Latvia - Mass evacuation from Baltic ship
- France - France's Fillon sticks to reform path despite polls
- Iraq - Iraq First Lady survives bombing
- Yemen - Bid to salvage Shia-Yemen truce
- Israel - Condoleeza Rice: peace in Middle East could be reached this year
- Israel - Rice maintains heat on Israel over settlements
- Iran - Iran to reject incentives that violate atomic rights
- Iran - Iran women activist gets suspended jail sentence
- Israel - Prodded by U.S., Olmert and Abbas meet privately
Posted by Matthew Cordell at 8:39 AM | Comments (0)
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Japanese whisky beats Scotch?
>>Iraq - Turkish bombers launched three hours of fierce raids on northern Iraq last night. No casualties were reported. The raids were targeting senior PKK members in Iraq's remote Qandil mountains.
>>Germany - A rally by 6,000 left-wing demonstrators to protest a rally by Germany's extreme right-wing National Democratic Party broke bad yesterday in Hamburg, as protesters set cars on fire and pelted police with bottles. Water cannons were used to quell the violence. May Day typically brings violent street protests to German cities, but these may have been the worst in years.
- Don't Throw the Biofuels out with the Bathwater
- The Meaning of "Realism"
- Louise Arbour Tells It Like It Is
- Mobile Phones for Social Change
Africa
- Sudan - Farrow Enters Hong Kong to Protest China-Sudan Ties
- South Africa - Nine killed at S Africa gold mine
- Zimbabwe - Zanu-PF split on next move after defeat
- Zimbabwe - Tsvangirai says he will return to Zimbabwe
- D.R. Congo - Elephants are slaughtered for chopsticks
- Nigeria - Oil falls as Nigeria strike ends
- Somalia - Somali rebels defiant after al Qaeda chief killed
- Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe opposition says disputes electoral figure
- Cuba - Cuba urges economic gain, work at May Day rally
- Barbados - Africans stranded in Caribbean
- Dominican Republic - Dominican Republic sees surge in drug smuggling
- Japan - Ochone! Japanese whisky is voted the best in world
- China - China moves to head off Carrefour protests
- China - Anti-French Boycott Falters in China
- China - Chinese factory to supply one in four Bibles
- Japan - In Hungry World, Japan's Farmers Are Stuck With High-Priced Rice
- N. Korea - N. Korea Agrees to Blow Up Tower at Its Nuclear Facility
- Japan - China's Hu heads to Japan seeking trust and respect
- S. Korea - South Korea investigates mass sex abuse at school
- China - China virus 'hits 3,000 children'
- Belarus - US expels Belarus diplomats
- Sweden - Swedes start to question refugee policy
- Germany - Protesters battle German police in May Day violence
- Iran - Iran Protests to U.N. About Clinton Comments
- Iraq - Turkish jets bomb PKK camps in Northern Iraq: Anatolian
- Israel - Israel urged to end blockade of Gaza as talks begin in London
- Turkey - Turkey launches intensive air strikes in north Iraq
- Israel - Israeli police question PM Olmert
- Israel - African immigration to Israel
- Yemen - Blast at Yemen mosque kills 6, wounds 35
Posted by Matthew Cordell at 9:20 AM | Comments (0)
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>>Haiti - A top World Food Program official has said that Haiti faces a "major crisis" if international donors don't pony up for emergency aid. Earlier this month, six Haitians were killed in widespread protests about the rising cost of food. The WFP has appealed for $54 million to help dampen the increase. According to the WFP, two-thirds of Haitians live on less than $1 a day and almost half are undernourished. Meanwhile, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos are weighing a rice cartel.
>>Iraq - According to figures from Iraq's Health Ministry, April was the deadliest month since last August for Iraqi civilians, 898 of whom died last month. According to U.S. military reports, 49 U.S. soldiers died in April, the deadliest month since last September. The majority of the deaths occurred in Baghdad, where U.S. and Iraqi forces have been fighting an offensive against militants associated with Moqtada al Sadr.
Africa
- Somalia - Civilians gunned down in Somalia
- Burundi - Burundi must act on torture, rights group says
- Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe police accuse opposition
- Namibia - Namibia's treasure ship wreck
- Zimbabwe - Leaked poll results show that Mugabe lost, but will fight second round
- Zimbabwe - Harare to concede Tsvangirai victory
- Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe braced for presidential run-off
- Burundi - Burundi aims to rid itself of landmines
- Sudan - Intensified Fighting, Inadequate Aid Mar Return of Refugees to S. Sudan
- Egypt - 7 European and Canadian Tourists Killed in Egypt Bus Accident
- South Africa - SA elephants can be culled again
- Somalia - US air strikes succeed in killing top al Qaeda terrorist in Somalia
- Sudan - Militias attack Darfuris refusing census, kill 5
- Argentina - Argentina rattled by Falkland drilling plans
- Haiti - World Food Program sees 'major crisis' in Haiti
- U.S. - Fewer Latino Immigrants Sending Money Home
- China - 167 children rescued in China child labour crackdown
- China - Olympic 100 days countdown marred by US and UK criticism of China
- China - Beijing is to impose smoking ban
- N. Korea - House draws line on North Korea
- S. Korea - Emerging markets power S Korea exports
- Vietnam - 5 Asian Nations Are Weighing a Rice Cartel
- China - New anti-French rallies in China
- China - China opens record-breaking sea bridge
- Germany - Germany opens huge Nazi crimes archive to public
- Spain - Spain moves against illegal road races
- Belarus - Belarus Expels 10 U.S. Diplomats in Sanctions Dispute
- Italy - 5 French Mountaineers Die in Avalanche in Italy
- Turkey - EU hails Turkey free speech move
- Israel - New plan for W Bank checkpoints
- Iran - Iran launches new crackdown on dress code offenders
- Israel - Palestinian factions agree to truce with Israel: MENA
- Turkey - Turkey says inflation will be double target
- Iraq - April Iraq's deadliest month since last August
- Iraq - Iraq Team to Discuss Militias With Iran
- Iran - 'Provocative' Clinton angers Iran
- Iran - Quake hits Iran, about 100 lightly injured: TV
Posted by Matthew Cordell at 9:01 AM | Comments (0)
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>>India - President Ahmadenijad met with India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday in an attempt to seal a $7.6 billion pipeline deal, under the strenuous objection of the U.S. The pipeline would be completed by 2012 and would initially transport 60 million cubic meters of gas a day to Pakistan and India. The U.S. had suggested that India instead use Ahmadenijad's visit to press Iran to stop nuclear enrichment. India responded that it didn't need any "guidance" in bilateral relations.
>>Turkey - Turkey's parliament has approved legislation that softens penalties the EU has criticized for limiting free speech. Since 2003, Article 301 of the penal code has been used to prosecute hundreds, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, for "insulting Turkishness." Critics contend that the softening didn't go far enough; insulting the Turkish nation still carries a two-year penalty.
- "The Terminator" Goes to Jail
- Interview: Katrin Verclas on using mobile technology for social change
- Feeding the Hungry
- Is South Africa Finally Abandoning Mugabe?
Africa
- Congo - Rebuilding lives in DR Congo
- Zimbabwe - Police free Zimbabwean activists
- Zimbabwe - U.N. council pressed to send mission to Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwe - Security Council Voices Reluctance to Act on Zimbabwe
- Mauritania - Mauritania captures five al Qaeda suspects: source
- Kenya - Kenya cabinet cash shortfall
- Somalia - Civilians gunned down in Somalia
- U.S. - Bush takes moderate stance on gas tax moratorium
- Cuba - Raul Castro consolidates power in Cuba
- U.S. - 2,400 US marines attack Afghan drug town
- Brazil - New species found in Brazil
- Colombia - Colombian opposition calls for Uribe bribery probe
- Venezuela - Life Stalls in Venezuela as Power Shuts Off
- U.S. - Lawyer Urges Canada to Try a Citizen Held by U.S. Forces
- Mexico - Government Accepts Talks With Guerrillas Who Bombed Pipelines
- Colombia - Police 'kill Colombian drug lord'
- Mexico - For Many, Control of State-Run Pemex Is About National Pride
- Philippines - Philippines Bans Kidney Transplants for Foreigners
- Vietnam - Chinese cheer Olympic torch in peaceful Vietnam relay
- China - China 'may lease foreign fields'
- China - French retailer set for May Day protests
- China - China marks 100 days to Games
- China - Chinese policeman killed in Tibetan unrest: Xinhua
- Timor - Surrender in East Timor
- Cambodia - Soaring Food Prices Imperil Meals for Poor in Cambodia
- North Korea - North Korea heading towards famine: report
- Hong Kong - Torch Arrives in Hong Kong After Activists Are Deported
- Thailand - Myanmar's Suu Kyi detention is "OK," says Thai PM
- China - China tries to calm fears over virus outbreak
- Italy - Cries of 'Duce! Duce!' salute Rome's new mayor
- France - France Still Divided Over Lessons of 1968 Unrest
- Serbia - Trial of Chief of Milosevic's Secret Police Begins
- Iraq - 'Militants killed' in Iraq battle
- Yemen - Shia rebel clashes in north Yemen
- Israel - Palestinian groups want truce to include West Bank
- Iraq - Ministers accused of ignoring evidence of abuse in Iraq
- Iran - Iranian president tries to seal India pipeline
- Syria - Bush Says Syria Nuclear Disclosure Intended to Prod North Korea and Iran
- Turkey - Turkey reforms controversial law
- Yemen - Blast near Yemen Italian embassy
Posted by Matthew Cordell at 7:58 AM | Comments (0)
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>>Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's rival opposition factions, which had split in 2005, have reunited and could now claim a majority in parliament. The combined opposition will now hold 109 seats in parliament to ZANU-PF's 97. Meanwhile, the nation still waits, a month in, for the results of the presidential vote. Verification is set to begin today, with final results expected in a week.
>>Cuba - With the exception of three people charged with terrorism, Raul Castro has commuted all death sentences to prison terms of 30 years. Castro was quick to note that the death penalty still exists in Cuban penal code. In Cuba, the death penalty is carried out by firing squad. Last March, Cuba signed two central UN human rights agreements, which Fidel Castro had long opposed.
>>European Union - The European Union today ironed out a pact with Serbia, but failed to reach an agreement to restart stalled partnership negotiations with Russia. Lithuania still hasn't seen assurances on Russian energy, judicial cooperation, and a softer foreign policy with regard to former Soviet states. The pact with Serbia holds a caveat; EU states will not ratify the pact, nor will Serbia receive any benefits, until all EU states are convinced that Serbia is doing its due diligence with regard to war crimes suspects.
- Kai Eide Being Courted in Washington DC
- Reasons for UNAMID's Failure
- UN Plaza: Can We Blame Global Food Prices on Speculators?
Africa
- Somalia - Somalia piracy resolution introduced at U.N.
- Mozambique - Mozambique police 'kill at will'
- Congo - UN defends DR Congo probe
- Zimbabwe - Opposition reunites in Zimbabwe
- Kenya - Mungiki sect leader is shot dead
- Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe Opposition Reunites
- Kenya - Raises for Striking Jail Guards
- Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe health minister accused as terror campaign reaches hospital wards
- Zimbabwe - Tense Zimbabwe awaits presidential vote result
- Zimbabwe - Power-sharing call for Zimbabwe
- Congo - ICC seeks Congo's 'Terminator'
- Venezuela - Missteps as Venezuela's Hugo Chavez backs farming
- Cuba - Cuba's Raul Castro commutes most death sentences
- Haiti - Top Haitian lawmakers voice support for new leader
- China - China restarts trains on disaster line
- Hong Kong - Torch Nears, Posing Test of Autonomy in Hong Kong
- Malaysia - New Parliament Sworn In
- Vietnam - U.S. Allegations Prompt Vietnam to Halt Adoption Program
- China - For Chinese Athletes, Western-Style Perks
- Vietnam - Olympic torch arrives in Vietnam
- China - China jails 17 over Tibet riots
- Timor - 12 East Timor Rebels Suspected in Attacks Surrender
- Spain - Spain rejects Peron extradition
- Italy - Rome votes for right-wing mayor
- Poland - Poland's delicate balance of risk and reward; or how to have your cake and eat it
- Serbia - EU states seek to end divisions on Russia and Serbia
- Serbia - EU says to sign Serbia pact on Tuesday
Posted by Matthew Cordell at 8:16 AM | Comments (0)
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>>Afghanistan - Suspected Taliban insurgents executed a well-coordinated, but unsuccessful assassination attempt against President Karzai during the Afghan national day military parade on Sunday. Three were killed in the attack -- a tribal chief, a member of parliament, and a 10-year-old boy. Afghan security forces, which the government has pressed as a replacement for foreign troops guarding Kabul, prepared for weeks in advance of the event. The Taliban, claiming to have received help from within the security forces, worked in two teams, one working a mortar and the other guns, which were fired into the V.I.P stands.
>>Olympics - On Sunday the Olympic torch traveled to North and South Korea. In South Korea, it was greeted by protesters seeking better treatment for North Korean refugees in China and thousan

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