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Jul 16, 2010

Mandela turns 92 as S Africa basks in glory

South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela waves as he arrives to attend the World Cup match recently at Soccer City stadium in Soweto. Picture: AFP

US gives up last Iraqi prison

Detainees seen at the US detention facility at Camp Cropper in Baghdad, Iraq in this file photo. Picture: AP

Some 1,000 crime cases brim World Cup

Russia identifies killer of activist

Sudan expels two Darfur aid chiefs after Beshir charge

Sudan expels two Darfur aid chiefs after Beshir charge | The Brunei Times

Russia expects Iran nuke explanation

Abducted Iranian denies giving info

North Iraq hotel fire kills 29, half foreigners

Sunni group claims Iran mosque blast that killed 27

This picture released by Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency shows the scene of the bomb blast in the city of Zahedan, 940 miles southeast of Tehran Thursday, July 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA)

Malaysia makes first military deployment to Afghanistan

Grand affair at birthday banquet

(From Left) HRH Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah, HRH Crown Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hjh Saleha, HRH Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, HRH Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Hjh Zariah, HRH Prince Hj Jefri Bolkiah, HRH Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Norhayati. Picture: BT/Yusri Adanan

Satellite spots brightest super nova in the heavens

WASHINGTON
Friday, July 16, 2010
THE brightest explosion of a star ever seen temporarily blinded a satellite set up to watch such events, astronomers said on on Wednesday.
The gamma-ray burst and explosion of X-rays that followed came from a star that died five billion years ago, far beyond our own Milky Way galaxy, Nasa and British scientists said. It took this long for the radiation to reach the Swift orbiting observatory.
The bright X-ray burst blinded Swift on June 21, and the observatory's software ignored it as if it were an anomaly, the astronomers said.
"The intensity of these X-rays was unexpected and unprecedented," Neil Gehrels, Swift's principal investigator at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland.
Gehrels said the burst, named GRB 100621A, is the brightest X-ray source that Swift has detected since it started looking for them in 2005.
"Just when we were beginning to think that we had seen everything that gamma-ray bursts could throw at us, this burst came along to challenge our assumptions about how powerful their X-ray emissions can be," Gehrels said.
"The burst was so bright when it first erupted that our data-analysis software shut down," said Phil Evans of Britain's University of Leicester, who discovered the burst when he was going through some recorded data from Swift.
"So many photons were bombarding the detector each second that it just couldn't count them quickly enough. It was like trying to use a rain gauge and a bucket to measure the flow rate of a tsunami." When a star explodes, radiation travels at the speed of light in all directions. Gamma rays reach Earth first, followed by X-rays. This particular one was 140 times brighter than the brightest continuous X-ray source in the sky — a nearby neutron star. Reuters

Monarch establishes Monetary Authority of Brunei Darussalam | The Brunei Times

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam flashes a smile during the birthday celebrations at the THSMOAS in the capital. Picture: BT/Rudolf Portillo

His Majesty's birthday banquet, Brunei

Fireworks display at Istana Nurul Iman light up the sky after His Majesty's birthday banquet. Picture: BT/Saifulizam

150-Strong Medical Team Provides First Aid At Taman , Brunei

Brunei News

Brunei News.Net A Malay Indian man, claiming to have connections with high-profile figures in India, has allegedly conned over 40 local companies with offers of contracts for large-scale government projects.
General Sources IMPROVING the public service, accelerating national housing projects and strengthening religious education were among the main issues addressed in His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei ...
General Sources On Friday July 16, 2010, 2:30 am EDT CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - 07/16/10) - Kulczyk Oil Ventures (WARSAW: KOV) announces that Lempuyang-1, the second onshore exploration well to be drilled in ...

Herman, Kenning triumph in Palm Grove tournament, Cook Islands

The final round of the Palm Grove Golf Tournament last Saturday saw most of the second round leaders maintain their positions, but there were some good fight-backs during the day. In the senior men’s division, James Herman (212) extended his lead with the round of the day of 70 off the stick and win first prize, with Ned Howard (218) coming in second overall. Maara Kenning (243) extended her lead in the senior ladies’ by one stroke to gain first place ahead of Tuaine Marsters (249), with Margaret Taio not having a good day and slipping back in the field. For the intermediate men, first place went to Bruce Manuela (241) who improved his lead over second place getter Henry R Henry (245). Tai Raina and Jackie Urlich both carded the same score on the day so the placing remained the same for the intermediate ladies – first Tai Raina (275) and second Jackie Urlich (276).

No suspension for Allsworth, Cook Islands

Wilkie Rasmussen. 10060756 Finance Minister Wilkie Rasmussen says it is premature to consider suspending director of audit Paul Allsworth following allegations of ‘criminal misconduct’ levelled by former financial secretary Sholan Ivaiti. Rasmussen, also minister for the Public Expenditure and Review Committee and Audit (PERCA), responded to CI News questions on Tuesday saying he prefers to wait and see what police will do with the complaint before considering actions such as suspension. In Ivaiti’s letter of complaint, dated June 25 and received by Rasmussen on Monday, he recommends Allsworth be suspended and a full independent investigation of his actions be undertaken.

Wristbands for travellers, Cook Islands

Travellers arriving on the first flight from Sydney will be given a green and yellow wristband (like the one below) which entitles them to special offers. Visitors will get a map which shows where the restaurants and shops offering discounts are. Outlets will track how much the wristbands are used to see if the promotion has been worthwhile. Beattie said that they will be planning a similar offer for the New Zealand market if uptake is good.

First Sydney Cook Islands flight fully booked

The new direct flight from Sydney has taken off with a bang, according to Cook Islands Tourism (CIT) chief executive Carmel Beattie.
The first direct flight from Sydney lands in Rarotonga on Sunday and is fully booked and flights all the way through July have “strong bookings, Beattie said.
She said that there has been a good reaction to the first round of media advertising in Australia, with bookings going up from 77 people in the week before advertising, to 208 in the week after.
“There was an initial rush of bookings and they have been growing steadily ever since,” she said. “What we have to do now is maintain our presence in the marketplace.”
The media campaigns were run jointly with seven tourism partners including Infinity, Qantas Vacations, and Stella. The ads promoted package deals which started at around AUD$1000 for six nights. Beattie said that they plan to continue promotional work with the four top performing tourism partners.

Cook Islands public health conference

Attendees of the 2010 Public Health Conference .

Dr Wame Baravilala, the keynote speaker at the 10th annual Cook Islands public health conference, delivered a stark warning about diet.
“We need to stop overeating our way to an early grave,” he said at yesterday’s opening at the national auditorium.

Guam talent’s dream turns to ‘reality’ show, Guam

by Sweet One Gilliam

YOUNG Lee, a native of Guam and graduate of John F. Kennedy High School, sought out his childhood dream to be in Hollywood. His dream has finally come to reality –through a reality television show.
Lee landed a part in the new reality TV series titled “K-Town,” to be produced by rapper and actor Tyrese Gibson.
The show is set to be an Asian alternative to MTV’s Jersey Shore.
According to Wikipedia, Jersey Shore is a reality television series on MTV that follows eight housemates in real world-type style while they live, work and party at the New Jersey Shore
Lee was cast long after he boxed up his belongings from Tamuning in 2003 when he attended Pacific Union College on the West Coast.
During Lee’s Guam 2005 summer vacation, he won the Star Quest, a competition in which he performed a hip-hop dance routine.
Lee later submitted a video reel of himself as part of his audition for the K-Town pilot which he mentions was shot last weekend.
Should the pilot of “K-Town” rate in appeal to an audience who will, “love it,” (as Paris Hilton would say) and be picked up by a network that will air the show, then Lee is on the way to representing Guam in the Hills of Hollywood.

New building codes now in place, Guam

CONTRACTORS will have to comply with new building codes now that Bill 433 has been enacted as Public Law 30-159.
The legislation amends Public Law 30-25 which was signed to adopt the 2009 International Building Code and enforce it immediately.
The code includes fuel gas, international mechanical, international plumbing, international property, international maintenance, international fire, and international energy conservation. All must be met with satisfactory results by the agencies implementing the IBC, the Department of Public Works and the Guam Fire Department.
Opposition to the law was raised by realtors and businesses and the author of the bill, Sen. Tom Ada, submitted Bill 433 to postpone the enactment of the law from June 30 to Oct. 1 of this year.
Concerns raised included the amount of money residents would have to pay in order to comply with the law, which would be thousands of dollars.
The new date gives agencies more time to complete the necessary tasks needed to implement the law and also have a public forum on the code.
faredchaWith this in mind, the law also orders public works and GFD to conduct a public forum so that residents can provide input, recommendations and concerns about the building code. The forum shall be conducted within 45 days after the enactment of the law.

Impact of new alcohol laws assessed, Guam

Bar owner Techie Tagorda cards a customer at Tribbu Bar and Karaoke Lounge in Harmon. Mar-Vic Cagurangan

ALTHOUGH the impact of the two new laws that seek to curb underage and binge drinking on Guam has yet to be
Bar owner Techie Tagorda cards a customer at Tribbu Bar and Karaoke Lounge in Harmon. Mar-Vic Cagurangan
quantified in dollar terms, bar owners are starting to feel the measures’ effect on their business operations.

Not in Harmon, says Dededo mayor, Marianas

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Dededo mayor Melissa Savares testifies on Bill 413, a measure that would authorize the construction of a new northern high school before the Guam Legislature on Wednesday. Looking on is Albert San Agustin, of Dededo. Photo by Zita Y. Taitano. WHILE supporting a proposal to build a new high school in the northern part of the island, Dededo mayor Melissa Savares yesterday opposed the proposed site in Harmon Loop.

Sultan of swagger, Guam

First troop buildup-related project kicks off, Guam

NAVFAC breaks ground for maiden construction related to military expansion
THE first phase of a $4 billion project related to the military buildup kicked off during a groundbreaking ceremony on Naval b...

“We Are Guam” campaign, Southern Marianas

GVB representatives, staff of the Asan mayor’s office, volunteers and residents stand for a group photo in front of the Asan-Maina mural, the tenth to be unveiled as part of the “We Are Guam” campaign.

Photo courtesy of Paul Blas

Hotels need 3,000 guest workers, Northern Mariana

The CNMI thespians , Marianas

The CNMI thespians pose after staging Thornton Wilder’s “Pullman Car Hiawatha” at the Howell Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska.

BP oil spill: Obama heads to court to restore block on deepwater drilling - Telegraph

Reuters

Obama administation heads to court to reinstate a block on deepwater oil drilling imposed in response to the BP oil spill. Oil cleanup workers outnumber tourists on the beach in Pensacola Beach, Florida.

Barack Obama: al-Qaeda sees Africans' lives as cheap - Telegraph

By Alex Spillius in Washington

A man attends to an injured women after a bomb went off in a restaurant in Kampala's Kabalagala district
A senior US official suggested Mr Obama was taking a direct swipe at the ideology and motives of al-Qaeda affiliates on the continent, which US intelligence agencies say are the extremist group's most active branches.

"Al-Qaeda is a racist organisation that treats black Africans like cannon fodder and does not value human life," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Barack Obama's relationship with Europe 'not living up to its potential' - Telegraph

Obama European relationship 'not living up to its potential'

José Manuel Barroso wants the US and Europe to work closer together
Mr Barroso believes that the relationship with the White House and the EU has been affected by disagreements on how to tackle the global economic crisis, as well as climate change and trade reform.

In an interview with The Times, Mr Barroso said the US should reach out to Europe, calling on a "mutual" relationship.

BP says oil has stopped leaking in Gulf of Mexico - Telegraph

Barack Obama praises Yemen's fight against al-Qa'eda - Telegraph

Mr Obama and Mr Saleh spoke just one day after al-Qa'eda gunmen launched attacks in Yemen Photo: AFP But despite commitments by the Yemeni government to crack down on extremism, the two leaders noted that Al-Qa'eda remained a "continuing threat" in the country on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

"President Obama applauded Yemen's determination to address the terrorist threat the Yemeni people face and recognized the sacrifices of Yemeni forces involved in this effort," the White House said.

Exiled islanders return to radioactive paradise - Telegraph

Whale sighted in Derwent, Tasmania

The visiting whale provides a memorable sight for passengers on the ferry Emmalisa. Picture: LEIGH WINBURN. INSET: A crew member from the MV Bob Barker snapped this picture of a whale breaching.A WHALE has been spotted swimming in the River Derwent this morning, surfacing off Macquarie Wharf.
Michael Beasley, from the Sea Shepherd vessel MV Bob Barker, said the crew saw at least two whales performing shallow breaches approximately 150m from the wharf about 11am yesterday.
At least one of the whales was out again this morning.
Did you see the whale? Send your photos to us here.

North Korean health system in crisis

By staff writers/ Mercury

July 16, 2010 8:46am

SURGERY without anaesthetics and unsterilised needles illustrate the desperate state of North Korea's healthcare system.
Food shortages have persisted since the 1990s famine and some North Koreans survive partly on grass, tree roots and bark, the rights group says.
The communist state says healthcare is free for all, but Amnesty says many witnesses have told it they have been paying for all services since the 1990s.
Doctors are usually paid in cigarettes, alcohol or food for consultations and take cash for tests or surgery.
"If you don't have money, you die," the report quotes a 20-year-old woman refugee as saying.
The report, citing World Health Organisation figures, says the North spends less on healthcare than any other country - less than $US1 per person per year. Amnesty says its report is based on interviews with more than 40 North Koreans now living overseas and with health professionals in the country.
It paints a grim portrait of hospitals lacking anaesthetics and medicines, with unsterilised needles and bloodstained sheets.
A 24-year-old defector from northeastern Hamkyong Province told Amnesty that a doctor amputated his left leg from the calf down without administering anesthesia after his left ankle was crushed by a train when he fell from one of the carriages.
"Five medical assistants held my arms and legs down to keep me from moving. I was in so much pain that I screamed and fainted from pain," said the man, identified only by his family name, Hwang. "I woke up one week later in a hospital bed."
Doctors also often work without pay and have little or no medicine to dispense, and must reuse the scant medical supplies at their disposal, the report says.
The report quotes a 56-year-old woman from the northeastern city of Musan who had her appendix removed in 2001 without anaesthesia. "I was screaming so much from the pain, I thought I was going to die. They had tied my hands and legs to prevent me from moving," she said.
Amnesty says many people bypass doctors and go to the markets to buy medicine.
Catherine Baber, Amnesty's deputy Asia-Pacific director, said the North failed to provide for the most basic health and survival needs of its people - "especially worrying as North Korea fights a tuberculosis epidemic".
Quoting WHO figures, the report estimates that 5 per cent of the population of 24 million are infected with tuberculosis. Pyongyang has begun refusing US food aid despite a 2008 UN survey showing 9 million people do not get enough to eat.

Jul 15, 2010

People Magazine's 50 Most Amazing Bodies

People magazine Picks their 50 most amazing bodies in a special double issue, sure to heat up your summer. Click through to see if your celeb crush made the cut ...<br><br> <b>Kim Kardashian</b><br> Kim Kardashian has made a name - and a career - for herself with her trademark <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/galleries/keeping_up_with_kim_kardashian/keeping_up_with_kim_kardashian.html" target="_blank">va-va-voom curves</a> ... and the fact that she'll use any opportunity to show them off. In the May issue of <a href="http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-articles/naked-celebrity-pictures-0510" target="_blank">Harper's Bazaar,</a> the reality star bares all to flaunt her famous physique in an airbrush-free pictorial. <br><br>'I think the message is embrace your curves and who you are,' Kardashian, 29, says. 'I feel proud if young girls look up to me and say, ‘I'm curvy, and I'm proud of it now.'

Screening for Prostate Cancer: Does it Save Lives?: Controversies in Urology

Language Schools Franchise International

New stars and welcome returns for London Fashion Week - Telegraph

By Hilary Alexander, Fashion Director

Looks from Burberry and Acne AW10 collections (left and right); British designer Giles Deacon, who will be returning to London Fashion Week; and designer Hussein Chalayan
The Swedish design powerhouse, Acne, and the NewGen hot talents, Holly Fulton, David Koma and Michael Van Der Ham, will all make their catwalk debuts at London Fashion Week in September.

Iranian scientist was 'paid $5 million by CIA' for nuclear secrets - Telegraph

Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent

Shahram Amiri arrives at Imam Khomini Airport with his wife and son Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Shahram Amiri, who arrived home in Iran today, gave unspecified intelligence in return for the money, the officials claimed.

Mr Amiri, who was greeted by his wife, seven-year-old son and government ministers on his return to Tehran airport, denied he knew any secrets or even that he was a nuclear scientist at all.

New Zealand woman sounds Welsh after suffering 'foreign accent syndrome' - Telegraph

Bronwyn Fox's accent has turned into a mix of Welsh, Scottish and north London tones in a rare case of 'foreign accent syndrome'.
Bronwyn Fox, 59, of Invercargill, in the southernmost region of the South Island, told the Telegraph on Tuesday that she has never been to Britain and does not have any British-born relatives.

Scientists discover prehistoric fish under Great Barrier Reef - Telegraph

Japan: 900 Second World War bombs found under restaurant - Telegraph

The U.S. invasion of Okinawa on 20 Apr 1945
Construction workers on a road expansion project discovered the explosives with a metal detector and notified police, Kiyotaka Maedomari, a senior police official in Itoman city, said.

Indian rupee gets own currency symbol - Telegraph

Dean Nelson, in New Delhi

Gurpreet Singh shows his artwork depicting the new graphic symbol of Indian Rupee
Until now the rupee has been denoted by the abbreviation 'Rs' or INRs to distinguish it from neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Sri Lanka which also have rupees.

Vladimir Putin goes to Russian bare-knuckle fight with Jean-Claude Van Damme - Telegraph

Vladimir Putin goes Ultimate Fighting with Jean-Claude Van Damme

Ground Zero excavators find 18th century ship's hull - Telegraph

An explosion rips through the South Tower of the World Trade Towers after the hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into it
The vessel probably was used along with other debris to fill in land to extend lower Manhattan into the Hudson River, archeologists said.

Molly McDonald and A. Michael Pappalardo, archeologists, were at the site of the 9/11 terror attacks when workers uncovered the artifacts.

Senate clears banking-overhaul bill for final passage

Palin Calls For New 'Revolution' At Tea Party

Former Alaska Governor and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin arrives to sign copies of her recently released book 'Going Rogue: An American Life'

Sarah Palin has thrown down the gauntlet, calling for a populist "revolution" in America and criticising President Barack Obama's policies.
Mrs Palin has recently released a memoir Going Rogue: An American Life
Speaking to a crowd of 1,100 in Nashville, the former Republican vice-presidential candidate, said: "America is ready for another revolution.""

US Tea Party Link Obama To Hitler In Poster

Locals were outraged by the poster which went up last week in Mason, North Iowa

The sign was put up last week in the town of Mason, Iowa, by a local group of the right-wing Tea Party movement.

Gorillas 'Cheat' Like Children When Playing Tag, Portsmouth Uni Researchers Discover | Strange News | Sky News

Gorillas apparently playing tag in a German zoo (Pic: Portsmouth Uni)

When playing a game of tag, the apes would hit their playmates and then rush away in order to gain the advantage, researchers at the University of Portsmouth found.

Pakistan skittle Aussies Cricket - The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania

Tasmanian Tim Paine trudges off Lords after making 7 runs in his Test debut against Pakistan. He batted for 52 minutes. Picture: AFP
BEN DORRIES | July 14, 2010 09.42am
PACEMAN Mohammad Asif rocked Australia as Pakistan took the honours on the first day of the first Test at Lord's today.
And Pakistan's other young quick, teenager Mohammad Aamer, was involved in a physical clash with Australian captain Ricky Ponting after dismissing him.
Australia struggled to 9-229 on a tense first day, with Mike Hussey unbeaten on 39 when bad light stopped play early.
Asif took 3-0 in seven balls with a triple strike that removed Simon Katich (80), Michael Clarke (47) and Marcus North (0).
Danish Kaneria (2-48) knocked over the lower-order, including bowling Mitchell Johnson with a big-turning legbreak that Shane Warne would have been proud of.
North's third-ball duck, bowled through a gaping hole between bat and pad, continued the pressure on the left-hander in the lead-up to next summer's Ashes series

Alarm over kangaroo killers

Death toll from south China floods rises to 135

Heavy rainfall block the traffic in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, July 15, 2010. Jingdezhen receives an average rainfall of 120 millimeters on Thursday. (Xinhua/Zhang Wu)

BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhua) -- At least 135 people had been confirmed dead and 41 are missing, as some of the worst flooding in years continues in south China.

By 4 p.m. Thursday, close to 35.5 million people in 10 southern provinces and Chongqing Municipality had been affected by continuous rainstorms and floods since July 1, the Civil Affairs Ministry said in a notice on its website.

Alleged mafia boss arrested in Italy

U.S. federal deficit tops one trillion dollars

Hollywood's hottest supervillainesses

Israeli army convicts commander, soldier in shooting bound Palestinian

Hamas leader calls on Palestinian reconciliation parties not respond to U.S. pressures

Morocco sentences Spanish couple murderer to death

Russia, Germany hail outcome of summit

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (3rd R) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (3rd L) arrive for session of the Russian-German forum "St. Petersburg Dialogue" in Urals city, Yekaterinburg, July 15, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
MOSCOW, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Germany concluded their 12th interstate consultations Thursday at the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, hailing closer ties and business-to-business cooperation.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed a broad range of issues during the consultations, including foreign policy, economy, culture, technology and innovation.
Both sides vowed to practically advance bilateral cooperation in all sectors, with governments, banks and high-tech enterprises from both countries inking cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding.
At the joint press conference, both Medvedev and Merkel stressed the importance for the two countries of developing their strategic partnership.
Medvedev was positive about the meeting, saying cooperation would "develop in all directions."
He also welcomed German enterprises' participation in the hi-tech hub Skolkovo outside Moscow.
"We hope German businesses' role will be quite active in the large projects to be implemented in Skolkovo," said Medvedev, adding that Moscow had reached an agreement with Brussels on the implementation of a Partnership for Modernization initiative.
Editor: Fang Yang

Libyan aid ship docks in Egypt's El-Arish port

Libyan ship Al-Amal (Hope) arrives at El-Arish port, about 360 kilometers northeast of Cairo, capital of Egypt, on July 15, 2010. The Gaza-bound Libyan aid ship Al-Amal arrived at Egypt's el-Arish port on Thursday. On Tuesday, organizers of the Libyan-commissioned aid ship said Israeli naval forces have intercepted the ship, ordering it to head to Egypt. (Xinhua/Nasser Nouri)

EL-ARISH, Egypt, July 15 (Xinhua) -- The Gaza-bound Libyan aid ship docked in Egypt's El-Arish port around midday Thursday after it was prevented from sailing directly to the Gaza Strip.

Workers are prepared to unload some 2,000 tons of food and medical aid materials on the vessel which reached the port Wednesday night.

Golf McIlroy seizes British Open lead in record fashion

Contemporary Indian fashion sees strong following from socialites in Singapore

Iran women splurge on makeup despite Islamic restrictions

Milan fashion for men '50s retro with a nod to green

The World's Richest Royals

Polanski to film 'God of Carnage' in 2011

Seven towns to have dedicated cycling paths by 2014, Singapore

Private home sales in June falls to 847 units URA in Singapore

India, Pakistan begin key talks in Islamabad to resume peace process

Ordination of women a "crime against the faith"

US-based Women's Ordination Conference holds a vigil outside St.Peter's Square.

The ordination of women as Roman Catholic priests is a "crime against the faith," the Vatican said Thursday as it issued a raft of new disciplinary rules.

Greek workers' walkout shuts down public services, disrupts flights

2010 Youth Summer Program, Saipan

SUMMER CAMP: Children taking part in the Karidat House of Manhoben's 2010 Youth Summer Program show their art work-a paper plate wall pocket-right after taking an arts and crafts class under Dora Ada, center, at the Manhoben Center in Chalan Kanoa yesterday morning. The July 15 to Aug. 26 summer program aims to involve children who are 6 to 17 years old in skills development classes including canoeing, bead making, ukulele playing, swimming, bowling, volleyball and basketball. (Haidee V. Eugenio)

Afghans to Form Local Forces to Fight Taliban - NYTimes.com

Allauddin Khan/Associated Press

Afghan police officers on Wednesday secured the perimeter of a police base in Kandahar after an attack on the base on Tuesday.

By ALISSA J. RUBIN

KABUL, Afghanistan — After intensive negotiations with NATO military commanders, the Afghan government on Wednesday approved a program to establish local defense forces that American military officials hope will help remote areas of the country thwart attacks by Taliban insurgents.

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Jul 16, 2010

Malay Indian conman rips off 40 firms

Improve civil service: Brunei Sultan

Kulczyk Oil Ventures Spuds Second Brunei Exploration Well

Jul 15, 2010

By ALISSA J. RUBIN