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Whitney Houston’s Death Casts Shadow Over Grammy Awards

Posted February 12th, 2012 at 9:00 pm (UTC-5)
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The Grammy Awards ceremony began Sunday on a somber note as host LL Cool J offered a prayer for Whitney Houston, the iconic singer who was found dead one night earlier. After introducing footage of Houston singing, “I Will Always Love You,” one of her most well-known songs, at a previous Grammy ceremony, LL Cool […]

Tags: , , Posted in US

China’s VP Set to Begin US Visit

Posted February 12th, 2012 at 7:55 pm (UTC-5)
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China’s Vice President Xi Jinping begins a four-day visit to the United States Monday amid major challenges in relations between the two countries. White House officials say the visit by the man expected to become China’s Communist Party chief later this year and the country’s president in 2013 will cover a wide range of political, […]

Tags: , Posted in East Asia Pacific

Workers Begin Removing Fuel From Italian Shipwreck

Posted February 12th, 2012 at 7:40 pm (UTC-5)
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Salvage workers have begun pumping fuel from the cruise ship that ran aground last month off the coast of Italy. Italian officials say it will take 28 consecutive days of pumping to empty the 15 fuel tanks. Since the Costa Concordia ran aground on January 13, there have been fears of fuel leaks and resulting […]

Tags: , , , , Posted in Europe

Greeks Riot as Parliament Passes Austerity Measures

Posted February 12th, 2012 at 7:00 pm (UTC-5)
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The Greek parliament has approved a new package of spending and job cuts demanded by international lenders, bringing Greece closer to a new badly needed bailout. Lawmakers passed the plan late Sunday after protesters burned buildings, smashed windows and pelted police with rocks and gasoline bombs. Police attacked the rioters with tear gas. Around 100,000 […]

Tags: , , , , Posted in Europe

Arab League Calls for UN-Arab Peacekeepers in Syria

Posted February 12th, 2012 at 6:40 pm (UTC-5)
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The Arab League has agreed to boost support for the Syrian opposition and urge the U.N. Security Council to form a joint Arab-U.N. peacekeeping force to try to end the Syrian government’s increasingly deadly crackdown on an 11-month uprising. Arab League foreign ministers meeting in Cairo adopted a resolution Sunday calling on member states to […]

Tags: , , , Posted in Middle East

Greeks Riot as Parliament Debates Austerity Measures

Posted February 12th, 2012 at 6:00 pm (UTC-5)
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Greek protesters burned buildings, smashed windows and pelted police with rocks and gasoline bombs Sunday while parliament debated more spending cuts demanded by international lenders. Police say around 100,000 protesters marched through Athens and the second largest city, Thessaloniki. At least 10 buildings in Athens were set on fire, including movie theaters, cafes and banks. […]

Tags: , , , , Posted in Europe

Tibetan Nun Dies from Self-Immolation in China

Posted February 12th, 2012 at 5:50 pm (UTC-5)
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An 18-year-old Tibetan Buddhist nun set herself on fire late Saturday in China’s troubled southwestern Sichuan province, and later died of her injuries. An activist group, Free Tibet, issued a statement Sunday identifying the nun as Tenzin Choedon, who shouted slogans of protest against the Chinese government before setting herself on fire. Tibetan activists said […]

Tags: , , , , Posted in East Asia Pacific

Commonwealth to Probe Govt. Change in Maldives

Posted February 12th, 2012 at 4:45 pm (UTC-5)
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The Commonwealth said Sunday it is sending a team to the Maldives to investigate the sudden transfer of power in the Indian Ocean archipelago. The nine-member Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group made the decision after emergency talks in London. In a written statement, the group said the organization has “agreed to constitute a ministerial mission which […]

Tags: , , , Posted in South Asia

DRC: Senior Kabila Adviser Dies in Plane Crash

Posted February 12th, 2012 at 4:00 pm (UTC-5)
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that they will be evacuated to South Africa for treatment on Monday. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. Plane crashes are frequent in the DRC, which has one of the world’s worst air safety records.

Tags: , , , , , Posted in Africa

Afghan President Meets Anti-Corruption Monitoring Committee

Posted February 12th, 2012 at 3:40 pm (UTC-5)
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Afghan President Hamid Karzai has met with members of the Monitoring Evaluation Committee whose job it is to monitor corruption in carrying out projects funded by the international community. The committee, which also is responsible for the development of clear and objective benchmarks in fighting corruption, briefed the president on its findings. Mr. Karzai reminded […]