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Humorist, Screenwriter Nora Ephron Dies at 71

Posted June 26th, 2012 at 9:30 pm (UTC-5)
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The American writer Nora Ephron, who wrote the screenplays for popular romantic comedies along with a series of memorable humorous essays, has died in New York. Family and friends say she had been suffering from a blood disease. She was 71 years old. The daughter of Hollywood screenwriters, Ephron modeled her writing style on the […]

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Tropical Storm Debby Weakens to Tropical Depression

Posted June 26th, 2012 at 8:40 pm (UTC-5)
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Tropical Storm Debby has been downgraded to a tropical depression after making landfall Tuesday on the Florida Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Center has cancelled its tropical storm warnings. But forecasters say heavy rain, coastal flooding, and possible tornadoes can still be expected as Debby crosses central Florida to the Atlantic Ocean. The storm already […]

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Pentagon Marks Gay Pride Month for the First Time

Posted June 26th, 2012 at 7:55 pm (UTC-5)
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The Pentagon on Tuesday marked a major milestone by observing Gay Pride Month for the first time. It has been less than a year since the U.S. military ended the so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the military. Hundreds of servicemembers packed a Pentagon auditorium Tuesday as the […]

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French President Pledges Support For Burma’s Democratic Transition

Posted June 26th, 2012 at 7:30 pm (UTC-5)
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French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday assured visiting Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi that France will do everything possible to support Burma’s democratic transition. ) “We support all the efforts that could be taken for the success of this transition. And France must be at the service of democracy. Everything that can be […]

Tags: , , , , , , Posted in Europe

Senate Panel Approves Sanctions Against Russian Human Rights Violators

Posted June 26th, 2012 at 7:00 pm (UTC-5)
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A U.S. Senate panel has approved sanctions on Russian officials who violate human rights. The bill, approved by the Foreign Relations Committee, would ban travel visas and freeze the assets of anyone found to be a human rights abuser. But it specifically targets Russian officials responsible for the imprisonment, alleged torture, and death of Sergei […]

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UN: Trafficking, Use of Illegal Drugs on the Rise in Asia

Posted June 26th, 2012 at 6:15 pm (UTC-5)
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The United Nations says increased trafficking and use of amphetamine type stimulants, or ATS, as well as the illicit production and abuse of drugs is a growing problem in Asia. In its global drug report released Tuesday, the U.N.’s Office on Drugs and Crime says the trend is especially troubling in China and South East […]

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Tropical Storm Debby Makes Landfall in Florida

Posted June 26th, 2012 at 5:50 pm (UTC-5)
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Tropical Storm Debby made landfall on Tuesday near the Florida Gulf Coast town of Steinhatchee. Tropical storm warnings are posted for a large stretch of the Florida coast along the Gulf of Mexico. Heavy rain and possibly tornadoes can be expected. Forecasters predict Debby will weaken into a tropical depression as it crosses central Florida […]

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Uganda Halts Search for Landslide Survivors

Posted June 26th, 2012 at 5:15 pm (UTC-5)
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Although scores of people remain missing, Ugandan authorities have called off a search for survivors from a landslide that struck the eastern Mount Elgon area Monday, killing at least 18 people. Uganda’s minister for disaster relief, Stephen Malinga, said there is “no hope of finding any more survivors.” He said workers, joined by the Ugandan […]

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FBI Smashes Global Credit Card Fraud Ring

Posted June 26th, 2012 at 4:40 pm (UTC-5)
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The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation says it has smashed a global Internet credit card fraud ring. The FBI’s New York office calls it the biggest such operation in history, lasting more than two years and involving undercover law enforcement agents in 13 countries. Officials said Tuesday the operation protected 400,000 people from falling victim […]

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Assad: Syria at ‘War’ as Damascus Suburbs See Heaviest Fighting

Posted June 26th, 2012 at 4:25 pm (UTC-5)
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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has acknowledged that his country is in a “state of war” as activists reported the heaviest fighting between government and rebels forces near the capital since the start of a 15-month opposition uprising. Syria’s state news agency SANA says Mr. Assad made the comment Tuesday as he addressed his new cabinet. […]

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