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Irish voters back EU fiscal pact

Early indications suggest voters in the Republic of Ireland have approved the EU fiscal pact aimed at ensuring fiscal discipline in Europe, as it struggles to overcome a debt crisis.

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New Syria ‘mass killing’ reported ahead of UN meeting

Activists have released a video which they say shows another mass killing of civilians by a pro-government militia in Syria – the third in a week.

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Society

Breaking The Congo’s Cycle Of Inherited Jobs

How would you like it if in your company, deceased employees were automatically replaced by family members, even if they didn’t have the training?

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North Korea proclaims itself a ‘nuclear state’

North Korea’s Kim Jong-Il has “transferred the country into an undefeated country with strong political ideology, a nuclear power state, and invincible military power,” according to the updated constitution posted on its portal

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German kidnapped in north Nigeria killed in failed rescue attempt

A German engineer abducted in January by gunmen in Kano in northern Nigeria has been killed during an attempt by Nigerian forces to rescue him.

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Syrian troops shell Houla, site of massacre

Syrian troops shelled the country’s central region of Houla where more than 100 people were massacred last week. At least one person was killed in the latest violence and scores fled in fear of more government attacks.

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Aung San Suu Kyi lands in Thailand, first foreign trip in 24 years

Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi told an ecstatic crowd of Myanmar migrants in Thailand she would do all she could to help them, as she kicked off her first trip abroad in 24 years.

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WikiLeaks’ Assange loses sex case appeal

The British Supreme Court has denied Julian Assange’s appeal against extradition to Sweden over sexual abuse allegations –but the judges have left open a surprise avenue for the WikiLeaks founder to fight on.

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Liberia ex-President Charles Taylor gets 50 years in prison

Ex-Liberian leader gets life for supporting rebels in Sierra Leon, who killed thousands, in exchange for blood diamonds.

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Geopolitics

Syria, Is This The Tipping Point?

ASHARQ AL-AWSAT (United Kingdom) / LE MONDE (France) DAMASCUS – Syria is burning again, with action intensifying both along the front lines and in diplomatic corridors in the wake of a massacre of civilians that could mark a turning point in the yearlong conflict. Along with Canada and Australia, the major European powers, UK, Germany, […]

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France And Australia Expel Syrian Diplomats

French President François Hollande expels Syria’s ambassador amid continuing violence by Syrian government forces against civilians. This follows Australia’s expulsion of two top Syrian diplomats.

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At least 9 dead in Italy’s latest earthquake

At least nine people are reported dead in a magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck the same area of northern Italy stricken by another fatal tremor on May 20.

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Texas crane standoff ends with deadly fall

A man believed to have fled an earlier crime and holed himself up in a crane cab high over the campus of Southern Methodist University in Texas died in a fall from the cab after a 12-hour standoff with police.

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Geopolitics

As Global Outcry Deepens, Syria Declares “The Revolution” Will Not Be Printed

AL-ARABIYA (United Kingdom) DAMASCUS – “It seems that the word ‘revolution” is no longer desirable in official circles in Syria,” writes Al-Arabiya reporter Kamal Qubeisi from London. “The Revolution” happens to be the name of one of Syria’s three main official newspapers, but after 50 years on Syrian newsstands, the paper will merge with another […]

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Reports: Italian cardinal linked to scandal

One of the Vatican’s biggest scandals in decades appears to be widening with reports that an Italian cardinal may be involved in a power struggle involving leaked documents, corruption and intrigue.

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European shares, euro gain as Greek fears ease

European stocks rose for a third straight session on Monday and the euro edged up, as Greek polls showed growing support for pro-bailout parties.

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Annan visits Syria as outrage grows over weekend massacre

Special envoy Kofi Annan will meet with President Bashar al-Assad and senior officials, though rebel leaders say Annan’s peace plan is already “dead” following a gruesome massacre that killed 108 people in one town.

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Society

The Human Library – Check Out A Living Book And Listen To Their Story

The old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” has never been truer. An initiative to fight against prejudice, the Human Library project “rents” out people who have fallen on hard times or who have had a life

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Geopolitics

Vatican Scandal: Meet The Pope’s Butler, Now Under Arrest

LA REPUBBLICA (Italy) VATICAN CITY – The Vatican confirmed Saturday that Pope Benedict XVI’s personal butler has been arrested, as a scandal over leaks to the press and alleged financial corruption threatens to spin out of control, La Repubblica reports. Beyond the substance of the charges, the arrest of Paolo Gabriele, a layman who lives […]

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Two Killed In Suicide Bombing In Central Turkey

A suicide bomb squad killed two policemen and wounded more than a dozen people during an attack on a police station in central Turkey.

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Fistfight In Ukraine’s Parliament Over Language Bill

Deputies of the Ukrainian opposition fought with deputies of the pro-presidential majority during a session of parliament in Kiev. The opposition parties were protesting a bill that would make Russian an official state language along with Ukrainian.

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Japan’s AWOL Penguin Back In Captivity

A young penguin that escaped from a Tokyo aquarium has been caught more than two months after slipping out of an aquarium in Tokyo.

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Society

Jeremy Lin Is A Junior High Exam Topic

LIBERTY TIMES (Taiwan) TAICHUNG – Is Jeremy Lin Taiwanese or American? This dumb question, as some put it, appeared on a recent test at a Taiwanese junior high school. Half of the students answered “Taiwanese.” Wrong! But the apparently light exam topic about an NBA basketball player has set off hot debate in Taiwan, where […]

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Geopolitics

Who’s Next? Ireland, Portugal Share Fears And Loathing As Greek Crisis Escalates

Europe hustles to figure out how to save its single currency in the face of an escalating debt crisis in Greece. Germans are looking surprisingly fondly at Ireland and Portugal, which have shown a commitment to austerity that Greece has simply not managed

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Hewlett-Packard to cut 27,000 jobs

Hewlett-Packard Co. is cutting 27,000 jobs in an effort to save up to $3.5b annually and recover from recent management missteps.

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US threatens to cut Pakistan aid following jailing of bin Laden doctor

Pakistan’s problematic relationship with the US plunges to new depths as Senators warn of aid cuts after the jailing of the surgeon who helped the CIA hunt down Osama bin Laden.

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European business activity falls to near three-year low

Activity at European businesses hit a near three-year low in May and the euro dropped sharply to $1.2515, its lowest level since July 2010.

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Geopolitics

Syrian Army Agrees To First Release Of Opposition Prisoners

AL ARABIYA (Dubai) In the first such step of its kind, the Syrian Army has agreed to a prisoner exchange with the opposition forces of the Free Syrian Army (FSA). Syrian government forces freed two arrested men from Syrian prisons in exchange for the remnants of a destroyed tank in the town of Khan Sheikhoun […]

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World powers open talks with Iran to curb nuclear program

Officials of six world powers –the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China– begin a fresh round of talks with Iran amid hopes of progress toward a deal on Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.

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Egyptians vote in landmark presidential election

Egyptians are voting in their first free presidential election, a historic achievement for those who worked to topple longtime leader Hosni Mubarak a year ago.

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US drone kills 4 in Pakistan amid tension with US

A U.S. drone fires two missiles at a compound in northwest Pakistan, killing four suspected militants in an attack that comes as Washington is running out of patience with Islamabad’s refusal to reopen supply routes for NATO troops in Afghanistan

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Vladimir Putin shifts former ministers to Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin names seven former cabinet ministers as aides, in a move expected to weaken Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s new government and shift power to the Kremlin.

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Launch success for private cargo rocket SpaceX

An unmanned rocket owned by privately held Space Exploration Technologies blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for a mission designed to be the first commercial flight to the International Space Station.

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Malaysian court charges opposition leader Anwar over street protest

A Malaysian court has charged opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and two of his allies with breaking various laws during a massive street rally to demand electoral fairness last month.

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Asian Markets Up but Investors Still Edgy Over Greece

Asian markets recover some ground on value hunting after last week’s heavy losses, but investors remain wary over the euro zone despite world leaders calling for Greece to stay in the monetary union.

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Dominique Strauss-Kahn faces ‘gang rape’ inquiry

A French prosecutor has ordered an initial inquiry into claims that ex-IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn was involved in “gang rape” in Washington.

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Death toll in Yemen bombing rises to 38 soldiers

A suicide bomber blew himself up at a military parade drill in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, killing at least 38 soldiers and wounding scores of others in what is one of the deadliest attacks in the city in months.

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Geopolitics

A Bombed Libyan Village Where NATO’s ‘Collateral Damage’ Has A Name And A Face

More than 30 people were killed last August when NATO jets bombed the small Libyan town of Majer. NATO says it was a “legitimate” target. Villagers tell a very different story, of innocent victims, and pain made worse by NATO’s

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Iran: Map Sets Off Dispute With Google

Incensed over what it views as a Western-Arab plot, Iran threatens to sue Google for deleting the name Persian Gulf from its online mapping service and leaving the body of water nameless.

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European Markets dip as worries grow over Greece and Spain

European markets suffered a jittery session on Friday as concern continued over Greece and Spain. Confidence in European banks was undermined by ratings agency Moody’s, which cut the credit ratings of 16 Spanish banks late Thursday.

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