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courtesy of: jotsite.com |
World Briefing | Americas: Colombia: Uribe Offers to Release Rebels for Hostages Freedom Reuters (International)The government offered cash and reduced jail terms to leftist guerrillas in exchange for releasing the politician Ingrid Betancourt after years of captivity in jungle camps. Ms. Betancourt, left, 46, was kidnapped during her 2002 presidential campaign by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and is suffering from malnutrition and hepatitis B, according to Colombias human rights ombudsman. President lvaro Uribe said his government would maintain a $100 million fund to pay rewards to guerrillas who free any of the hundreds of kidnapping victims held by the FARC. On Thursday he signed a decree allowing for a mass release of guerrillas from jail if Ms. Betancourt was freed. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
World Briefing | United Nations: Report Says Lebanese Leader Killed by Criminal Network Warren Hoge (International)A criminal network was behind the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri and is linked to some of the 20 additional killings of anti-Syrian officials in Lebanon, the head of the United Nations inquiry into the deaths, David Bellemare of Canada, said in his first report since taking the post in November. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
World Briefing | Europe: Britain: More Chaos at Heathrow Alan Cowell (International)For the second successive day, British Airways canceled dozens of flights at Heathrow Airports glittery new Terminal 5 as its staff struggled with state-of-the-art technology supposed to hasten check-in and baggage-handling procedures. The hitches since the terminal opened on Thursday were definitely not British Airways finest hour, the airlines chief executive, Willie Walsh, told reporters. Some passengers slept overnight inside the steel-and-glass terminal, reviving precisely those images of delay and decline in British aviation that British Airways said Terminal 5 would banish. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
World Briefing | Europe: Italy: Cheese Move Earns Approval Ian Fisher (International)Some 25 brands of buffalo mozzarella with elevated levels of the carcinogen dioxin were pulled from stores as the nation worked to reassure foreign buyers that none of the contaminated cheese had left the country. After the recall, European Union health officials declared themselves satisfied that Italy was confronting the problem. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
World Briefing | Americas: Cuba: Cellphones for Anyone Marc Lacey (International)The government announced that it would permit the general public to buy cellphones, which until now were set aside mainly for the Communist Party elite. The move was seen as a sign of liberalization by the new president, Ral Castro. But most Cubans, who earn only about $20 monthly in state salaries, will find it hard to afford the phones without help from relatives off the island. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
Doha Trade Deal Still Possible, Bush Says Reuters (International)The United States is willing to make agricultural concessions to reach a new world trade deal if other countries open their markets to more American exports, President Bush said Friday. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
Trying to Get the Swiss to Talk Carter Dougherty (International)A tax-evasion scandal in Germany has sparked a debate in Switzerland about the countrys banking secrecy. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
Dalai Lama Warns China on Its News Reports David Barboza (International)The Dalai Lama criticized Chinas state-controlled media, saying its coverage of the unrest in Tibet was biased and could eventually sow the seeds of racial tension there. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
Corporate Sponsors Nervous as Tibet Protest Groups Shadow Olympic Torchs Run Heather Timmons (International)The disruption of a Chinese officials address in Greece was just the beginning of a string of protests planned to coincide with the torchs trip around the globe. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
Tibetan Students Enter U.N. Compound Somini Sengupta (International)Tibetan high school children scaled a brick wall surrounding the United Nations compound in Katmandu. They were served dumplings on the other side. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
The Saturday Profile: Japanese Author Guides Women to Dignity, but Others See Dullness Norimitsu Onishi (International)Mariko Bandos book, The Dignity of a Woman, has become one of Japans biggest best sellers in decades, but critics say it reinforces the view that women should be subservient. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
Chaos Reigns a Second Day at Heathrow Alan Cowell (International)British Airways again canceled dozens of flights at Heathrows new Terminal Five as its staff struggled with new technology meant to hasten check-in procedures. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
South Korea Plays Down Missile Test by the North Choe Sang-Hun (International)Experts said Pyongyang was seeking to boost its bargaining leverage by escalating tensions at a time when negotiations over its nuclear program are not proceeding in its favor. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
Stalemate in Kenya Over Top Posts Jeffrey Gettleman (International)Kenyas president and the top opposition leader are deadlocked over a new government. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
Case Against U.S. Marine Is Dismissed Paul Von Zielbauer (International)All charges were dismissed Friday against one of two remaining enlisted marines involved in a combat action that killed 24 Iraqis in Haditha in 2005. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
High Rice Cost Creating Fears of Asia Unrest Keith Bradsher (International)The price of rice, a staple in the diets of nearly half the worlds population, has almost doubled on international markets. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
Japanese Court Rejects Defamation Lawsuit Against Nobel Laureate Norimitsu Onishi (International)The court agreed with Kenzaburo Oes assertion that the Japanese military was deeply involved in the mass suicides of civilians in Okinawa at the end of World War II. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
U.S. Airstrikes Aid Iraqi Army in Basra Erica Goode (International)Iraqi forces, which have no air support of their own, have so far failed to subdue Shiite militias in Basra and have asked the Americans and British for help. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
Growing Gulf Divides China and Old Foe Howard W. French (International)A gap between Western and Chinese leaders on perceptions of the Dalai Lama is breeding pessimism that China will take a new approach to Tibet. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
Somalias Government Teeters on Collapse Jeffrey Gettleman (International)Many of the same elements that lined up in the 1990s to create a famine are lining up again war, drought, displacement and skyrocketing food prices. 09AM Mar 29, 2008
World Briefing | Middle East: Iran: First-Class Stamp Honors Militant The Associated Press (International)The face of a Hezbollah commander who was killed in Syria last month will be on a new postage stamp, the official IRNA news agency reported. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
World Briefing | Europe: The Vatican: Modern Sins Are Condemned The Associated Press (International)To its ancient list of sins like lust, gluttony and greed, the Roman Catholic Church has added pollution, mind-altering drugs and genetic experiments. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
World Briefing | Americas: Canada: Seal Kill Increased Reuters (International)Hunters will be allowed to kill 275,000 young harp seals on the ice floes off eastern Canada this year, the government said, 5,000 more than last year. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
World Briefing | Europe: U.S. Will Aid Polish Military Steven Lee Myers (International)President Bush pledged to help modernize Polands military as part of the administrations plans to base missile interceptors in the country. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
World Briefing | Europe: Britain: Restaurant Libel Quashed John F. Burns (International)An appeals court in Northern Ireland overturned an award of about $50,000 to the owner of a popular restaurant who had sued a Belfast newspaper for libel over a critical review. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
World Briefing | Africa: Tunisia: Islamists Claim Kidnapping The Associated Press (International)Two Austrian tourists who disappeared in Tunisia last month were kidnapped by an Islamic militant group in retribution for Western cooperation with Israel. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
World Briefing | Asia: India: Tibetan Protesters Stopped The Associated Press (International)Hundreds of Tibetan exiles beginning a six-month march to Tibet to protest Chinas holding the Olympics were blocked by the police near Dharmsala. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
World Briefing | Asia: Japan: Heparin Recalled as Precaution Walt Bogdanich (International)Three Japanese companies have recalled heparin products made with raw materials from China that were processed by Scientific Protein Laboratories. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Woman Replaces Colleague for South Koreas First Space Mission Choe Sang-Hun (International)Womens groups said Yi So-yeons participation was likely to boost the rising status of women in South Koreas traditionally male-dominated society. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Cases Without Borders: Psychotherapy for All: An Experiment David Kohn (International)A new program in Goa, India, trains laypeople to identify and treat depression and anxiety and send them to community health clinics. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Global Update: Uganda: Vaccine Program Vanquishes a Dangerous Type of Childhood Meningitis Donald G. Mcneil Jr. (International)Thousands of lives were saved in Uganda shortly after the introduction of a new vaccine. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Workers Sue Gulf Coast Company That Imported Them Adam Nossiter (International)A group of 500 foreign welders and pipefitters claimed they were lured with false promises of permanent-resident status and forced to live in inhumane conditions. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Pearl Cornioley, Resistance Fighter Who Opposed the Nazis, Is Dead at 93 Douglas Martin (International)Ms. Cornioley was a courier between the British and the French resistance against the Nazis and rose to command 3,000 underground fighters. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Imelda Marcos Acquitted, Again The New York Times (International)A Manila court acquitted the former first lady of the Philippines of 32 counts of illegal money transfers, in the latest of a series of corruption trials. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Chinas Rate of Inflation Is Highest in 11 Years Keith Bradsher (International)Food prices were the biggest contributor, up 23.3 percent from February of last year. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Pace of Change Too Slow to Keep Entrepreneurs in France John Tagliabue (International)Economists say France will have to make much deeper changes to its cultures attitude toward capitalism if it intends to keep young entrepreneurs at home. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Arms Ruling Overturned by Dutch Marlise Simons (International)A Dutch appeals court overturned the conviction of a lumber trader who had been found guilty of smuggling weapons for the former president of Liberia. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Border Crossings: Born Irish, but With Illegal Parents Jason Deparle (International)George-Jordan Dimbo, born in Ireland 11 years ago to illegal immigrant parents, may soon be living in Africa. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Kremlin Rules: Putins Iron Grip on Russia Suffocates Opponents Clifford J. Levy (International)Behind a facade of democracy in Russia lies a centralized authority that is not reluctant to swat down challengers. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Discovery Challenges Finding of a Separate Human Species John Noble Wilford (International)Some scientists say the finding calls into question claims that the first such specimens, from Indonesia, represent a separate human species. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Samsun Journal: A Patchwork Land Confronts a Lie of Whole Cloth Sabrina Tavernise (International)A traveling exhibit attempts to show that Turkey is a constantly changing kaleidoscope of different cultures, a view that stands in opposition to what the Turkish state says. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Armed, State-Backed Ex-Rebels Win Sri Lanka Poll Reuters (International)Government-backed former Tamil Tiger rebels accused of abductions and killings have won a landslide in a Sri Lankan local election that critics say was unfair because they remain armed. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
For Britain, Fewer Troops in Iraq, but Costs Continue to Rise for the Taxpayers John F. Burns (International)A parliamentary committee warned that Britains military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq were likely to cost $6.7 billion this year. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
China Sticking With One-Child Policy Jim Yardley (International)Chinas top population official has ruled out changing the countrys one-child family planning policy for at least another decade. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
China Reorganizes Government Ministries Jim Yardley (International)The plan is intended to streamline an overlapping array of government agencies, commissions and ministries. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Proposal Would Let U.S. Troops in South Korea Have Families With Them Thom Shanker (International)The proposal by the commander of American forces in South Korea is a recognition that the military must do more to improve the quality of life for troops and their families. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
At Least 24 Killed as Two Bombs Strike Pakistan Salman Masood (International)Two powerful explosions rocked the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, killing at least 24 people and wounding 170. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
Talks, but No Truce, Accompany Lull in Gaza Violence Isabel Kershner (International)A senior Israeli official and leaders of Gaza militant groups have held talks with Egyptian officials in recent days. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
8 U.S. Soldiers Killed in 2 Iraq Attacks Erica Goode And Richard A. Oppel Jr. (International)The attacks underscored how fragile security in Iraq remains despite a recent drop in violence. 08AM Mar 11, 2008
World Briefing | Asia: Kashmir: Strays Saved From Poisoning The Associated Press (International)The authorities in Srinagar, Indian Kashmirs main city, canceled plans to poison all its stray dogs, nearly 100,000, with strychnine. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
World Briefing | Europe: Britain: Public Uniform Ban for R.A.F. The Associated Press (International)The advice is based on episodes of verbal abuse from opponents of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
World Briefing | Europe: Britain: Prison for Terrorist Trainers The Associated Press (International)A London judge sentenced two extremist preachers convicted of running a network of military-style terrorism training camps across the English countryside. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
World Briefing | Europe: Armenia: Vote Observers More Critical Sabrina Tavernise (International)An election observation team issued a second report delivered a more negative assessment of the Feb. 19 vote and its recount than it initially gave. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
World Briefing | United Nations: Texan Gets 2 Years in Oil-For-Food Fraud Reuters (International)The oil trader pleaded guilty in August to federal fraud charges in connection with illegal profits and kickbacks involving the United Nations oil-for-food program in Iraq. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
Belarus: U.S. Ambassador Told To Leave Clifford J. Levy (International)The former Soviet republic, complaining about sanctions opposed by the United States over its crackdown on the political opposition and media, said it was withdrawing its ambassador from Washington. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
Thatcher Hospitalized The Associated Press (International)LONDON (AP) Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was hospitalized in stable condition in London on Saturday and was undergoing medical tests, the authorities said. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
Lord Francis Pym, Ex-Foreign Secretary of Britain, Dies at 86 John F. Burns (International)Lord Pym of Sandy was a decorated veteran of World War II who earned respect for resisting the radical shake-up of British politics that became known as Thatcherism. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
Chinese Rights Activist Reported Missing Jim Yardley (International)A Chinese lawyer who has called on the Communist Party to improve its human rights record in advance of the 2008 Olympics has disappeared, according to his wife. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
Iraqi Leader Tries to Mend Relationship With Turkey Sabrina Tavernise (International)The visit by President Jalal Talabani comes after a Turkish ground offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
Arab Leaders, Angry at Syrian President, Threaten Boycott of Summit Meeting Robert F. Worth (International)The measures are part of an intensified campaign against Syria over its role in Lebanon and its continuing links to Iran that come alongside similar moves by the United States. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
The Saturday Profile: A Pilgrimage Tale (Not Chaucers) Amuses and Inspires Mark Landler (International)Comedian Hape Kerkelings book has become of one of Germanys best-selling nonfiction book since World War II. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
Assassination Curtails Spains Election Campaign Victoria Burnett And Elaine Sciolino (International)Spains two main political parties curtailed campaigning for the general election after a gunman suspected of belonging to Basque militant group ETA killed a former city councilman. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
2 Markets, of Varying Security, Highlight Challenge for U.S. Troops in Iraq Thom Shanker (International)Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will soon make his formal recommendation to President Bush on future troop levels in Iraq. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
8 Burials for Jerusalem Seminarys Dead Isabel Kershner And Steven Erlanger (International)The families of the eight students who were killed by a gunman buried their dead on Friday. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
China Offers Detailed Defense of Its Sudan Policy Jim Yardley (International)A Chinese envoy said he had expressed grave concerns to the Sudanese government about the violence in Darfur. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
Germans Seek China Tie To Blood Thinner Heparin Carter Dougherty And Elisabeth Rosenthal (International)Concerns about the safety of the blood thinner heparin have spread to Germany, after drug authorities there received reports of patients being sickened after taking the drug. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
Thai Inquiry Set in Arms Sales Case Seth Mydans (International)A Russian businessman regarded as a notorious arms dealer would be held in Thailand for investigation even as the U.S. seeks his extradition. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
Crisis Over Colombian Raid Ends in Handshakes Simon Romero And James C. Mckinley Jr. (International)The resolution of the dispute was spelled out in a document criticizing Colombias foray into Ecuador while recognizing the need to combat illegal armed groups in the region. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
Ethnic Divide Worsens as Sri Lanka Conflict Escalates Somini Sengupta (International)A truce between the Sri Lankan government and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is over, and gone are the Nordic monitors who kept watch over it. 09PM Mar 07, 2008
Chinas Latest Crackdown: The Liquid Lunch Jim Yardley (International)A Communist Party campaign aims to bust civil servants partaking in booze-soaked lunches. 09PM Mar 07, 2008