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| December 25, 2008 | Thursday | Zilhaj 26, 1429 |
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Ahmadinejad to deliver Christmas message on British TV
LONDON, Dec 24: Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will deliver an alternative Christmas message on British television to rival Queen Elizabeth II’s annual address, broadcaster Channel Four said on Wednesday.... 
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Massive layoffs feared in UAE
DUBAI, Dec 24: Up to 45 per cent of the construction workforce in the United Arab Emirates could be laid off, with thousands already having lost their jobs due to the global financial crisis, a report said on Wednesday....
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BD voters sceptical of real change: Confrontational politics
DHAKA, Dec 24: Bangladesh goes to the polls on Monday to restore democracy but analysts say the dysfunctional political system that prompted the army to step in two years ago remains largely unchanged....
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Coup leaders tighten grip on Guinea
CONAKRY, Dec 24: Coup leaders tightened their grip on Guinea on Wednesday, declaring a nationwide curfew and ruling out elections for the next two years as hundreds of their troops paraded through the capital’s streets....
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UN warns Nepal army, Maoists against recruitment
KATHMANDU, Dec 24: A UN envoy has urged Nepal’s army and the Maoist former guerillas not to enlist new recruits over concerns that such a move could cause fresh trouble in the Himalayan nation....
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Kosovo names street after Bush
PRISTINA, Dec 24: Kosovo decided on Wednesday to name a central street of its capital Pristina after outgoing US President George Bush for his support of the territory’s split from Serbia....
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Turkey, Iraq pledge joint fight against Kurds
ANKARA, Dec 24: The prime ministers of Turkey and Iraq vowed on Wednesday to step up their cooperation in the fight against Turkish Kurdish rebels whose presence in northern Iraq has cast a shadow over relations....
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Mexican beauty queen held in raid
GUADALAJARA (Mexico), Dec 24: A beauty queen from the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa has been arrested, along with several companions, carrying weapons and thousands of dollars in cash, authorities in the western state of Jalisco said on Tuesday....
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Russia faces risk of protests, upheaval: Minister’s warning
MOSCOW, Dec 24: Russia faces the risk of an increasing number of protests and upheaval because of the global financial crisis, a deputy interior minister said on Wednesday....
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More turmoil in Somalia as new PM quits
BAIDOA (Somalia), Dec 24: A Somali lawmaker whose appointment as prime minister was rejected by parliament announced he was standing aside on Wednesday in a bid to end a political crisis in the war-torn nation....
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Mufti objects to women working in lingerie shops
RIYADH, Dec 24: Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti has objected to women working in lingerie shops, despite the labour ministry’s approval and rising complaints from female customers about male-only staff, papers said on Wednesday....
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Bangkok sets date for Asean summit
BANGKOK, Dec 24: Thailand has set new dates for the delayed summit of Southeast Asian nations in Bangkok, a minister said on Wednesday....
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Ancient water source vital for Australia
SYDNEY: An ancient underground water basin the size of Libya holds the key to Australia avoiding a water crisis as climate change bites the drought-hit nation....
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Guinea risks upheaval, conflict in coup bid
DAKAR: Guinea, the world’s biggest exporter of bauxite, has become the latest African state to suffer a breakdown in democratic rule and is now facing an uncertain political future which could descend into violence....
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In peaceful Singapore students learn of ‘terrorist’ threat
SINGAPORE: Cartoon-like images of an airplane crashing into New York’s World Trade Centre appear on a large screen at the front of the auditorium....
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Bush must face a reckoning
Tis the season of goodwill. The mood is forgiving. We’re meant to slump in the armchair, look back on the year just gone and count our blessings – woozily agreeing to put our troubles behind us....
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