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| February 12, 2009 | Thursday | Safar 16, 1430 |
Mugabe’s rival takes oath as PM
HARARE, Feb 11: Morgan Tsvangirai vowed to rebuild Zimbabwe’s shattered economy and to end political violence, as he became prime minister on Wednesday in a unity government with long-time rival President Robert Mugabe....
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Azerbaijan air force chief shot dead
BAKU, Feb 11: The powerful chief of Azerbaijan’s air force was shot dead outside his home on Wednesday, the highest ranking military official to be killed in the oil-rich republic wedged between Russia and Iran....
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Russia to supply India’s N-plants with fuel pellets
MOSCOW, Feb 11: Russia signed more than $700 million in deals on Wednesday to supply India’s nuclear reactors with fuel pellets, Russia’s state-owned nuclear company said in a statement....
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Iran urges Obama not to miss chance for talks
TEHRAN, Feb 11: Iran reiterated on Wednesday its desire for talks with the new administration of US President Barack Obama as both sides show tentative signs of shifting policy after three decades of severed ties....
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Russia welcomes ‘fresh’ US approach on Iran
MOSCOW, Feb 11: Russia on Wednesday hailed US President Barack Obama’s offer to hold talks with Iran, saying his “fresh approach” would help international efforts to end a six-year nuclear standoff with Tehran....
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Myanmar envoy terms Rohingyas ‘ugly as ogres’
HONG KONG, Feb 11: Myanmar’s senior official in Hong Kong has described the Rohingya people as “ugly as ogres” in a letter sent to media and foreign officials after a high-profile refugee case highlighted their plight....
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Venezuela considers ban on Walesa visit
CARACAS, Feb 11: President Hugo Chavez is considering barring Polish ex-president Lech Walesa from visiting Venezuela just days before a Sunday vote on amending the constitution to allow Chavez to seek re-election indefinitely....
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UK officials allowed to visit Guantanamo
LONDON, Feb 11: The United States has agreed to let British officials visit a Guantanamo detainee whose case has sparked protests and prepare for his return, Britain said on Wednesday....
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Hindu hardliners enraged by modern Indian women
NEW DELHI, Feb 11: Hindu nationalists in India have been accused of behaving like Afghanistan’s hardline Taliban after women were attacked in a pub and couples warned about public displays of affection....
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US reviews terror tag on Nepal Maoists
KATHMANDU, Feb 11: A senior US official said on Wednesday that during a meeting with the Nepalese government he had raised the possible removal of the country’s ruling Maoists from a Washington terrorist blacklist....
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White House ‘live-blogs’ Obama’s speech
WASHINGTON, Feb 11: The White House made another leap into the media age on Tuesday by “live-blogging” a speech by President Barack Obama....
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Kyrgyzstan accuses US of ignoring rent demands for air base
ALA-ARCHA (Kyrgyzstan), Feb 11: Kyrgyzstan’s president accused the United States on Wednesday of refusing to heed repeated calls to pay more rent for its air base in his country, but did not say if he would welcome a fresh US offer....
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Livni, Netanyahu vie for Israel’s top job after thriller
JERUSALEM, Feb 11: Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and hawkish ex-premier Benjamin Netanyahu were locked in a battle for power on Wednesday after a photo-finish election that could send peace talks into limbo....
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Drama to familiarise Britons with Afghan history
LONDON, Feb.11: A series of 12 plays collectively called the Great Game: Afghanistan has been commissioned by the Tricycle theatre in London to familiarise Britons with the history of the country...
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700 TV stations to end analogue broadcasts
WASHINGTON, Feb 11: Nearly 700 US television stations plan to end analogue broadcasts next week, despite a decision by the Congress to push back the switch to digital-only service until June....
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Michelle Obama on Vogue’s cover
NEW YORK. Feb 11: The American First Lady Michelle Barack Obama is the cover girl for iconoclast fashion magazine ‘Vogue’ in its March edition . Vogue was quick to point out...
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ICC asked to probe into Israeli military officials’ role
NEW YORK, Feb 11: The Palestinian Authority has asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague to investigate allegations of war crimes committed by Israeli commanders during the recent war in Gaza, says a report in the New York Times....
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New arson attacks suspected as Australian fires rage
YEA (Australia), Feb 11: Australian police investigated fresh arson attacks and looting on Wednesday as angry survivors pressed for access to towns devastated by wildfires that continue to burn across vast areas....
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Israeli divisions will make peacemaking harder
JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON: No matter who leads Israel''s next government, internal divisions are likely to tie its hands in any peacemaking with the Palestinians and leave US President Barack Obama''s Middle East policy in limbo....
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Indonesian city grapples with quake threat
PADANG (Indonesia): Remember the name Padang. Geologists say this Indonesian city of 900,000 people may one day be destroyed by a huge earthquake as it is in a seismic hot spot in one of the most quake-prone places in the world....
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Galileo put us in our place
The revolution was not his alone. The idea was actually an ancient one, and other scientists had embraced it along the way. But it took Galileo and the telescope he built...
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Senegal’s rice farmers given boost by food crisis
ROSS BETHIO (Senegal): For Senegalese rice farmers like Pape Alioune Seck the food crisis is a blessing in disguise in a country that until recently imported three-quarters of this staple from Asia....
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Babylon’s future written in its ruins
BABYLON: For a site whose historical importance ranks with Egypt’s Pyramids, the ancient Mesopotamian city of Babylon has suffered some rough treatment....
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