377 dead in west and central African floods UN
DAKAR – The United Nations said Tuesday that 377 people had died in flooding in central and west Africa, with nearly 1.5 million people affected since the start of the rainy season in June. 2010 has seen the largest number of people affected
Lawmaker Chile mine collapse warning ignored
SANTIAGO, Chile – A Chilean legislative commission is investigating reports that mining operators ignored danger warnings from a man who was later among 33 later trapped when a mine collapsed.Deputy Carlos Vilches, a commission member, said Tu

bbc faces six-year licence fee freeze

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The BBC will have to pay for the cost of the World Service and accept a funding freeze as part of widespread cuts in public sector spending due to be unveiled this week, its website reported Tuesday.The BBC will take over the World Service, which ha

rooney's 'treachery' laid bare by ferguson press

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Manchester United star Wayne Rooney has been left looking like the villain of the piece and will be hated by the club's fans after the revelation that he wants to quit, Britain's press said Wednesday.Manager Sir Alex Ferguson on Tuesday confirmed th

british aid worker kidnapped in somalia freed

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NAIROBI, Kenya – Save the Children says that a British aid worker has been released by his kidnappers in Somalia.Anna Ford, a spokeswoman for Save the Children, says the group is cautiously optimistic Frans Barnard will soon be back in Kenya.M

french fuel depots forced open amid strikes

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PARIS – French authorities forced strike-shuttered fuel depots to reopen to ensure gasoline supplies, and the interior minister threatened Wednesday to send in paramilitary police to stop rioting on the fringes of protests against raising the

police officer gunned down in southern russia

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ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia – Police say unidentified gunmen shot and killed a police officer in a southern Russian province hours after other Islamic insurgents raided Chechnya's regional parliament.Regional police in the province of Ingushetia wes

switzerland celebrates world's longest railroad tunnel

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Pride and euphoria swept through Switzerland last week when a gargantuan drilling machine emerged through the rocks deep under the Alps to join the two ends of the world's longest railroad tunnel.The 35-mile Gotthard Base Tunnel is an extraordinary

us ready to sell $60bn of weapons to saudis

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The US is due to announce on Wednesday an arms sale to Saudi Arabia that could total more than $60bn, the biggest such transaction in history.The formal congressional notification by the Obama administration comes after weeks of consultations with t

southern china braces for super typhoon

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HONG KONG – Residents scrambled to stockpile food and authorities ordered ships to remain docked as southern China geared up Wednesday for a super typhoon after it killed 15 people and wiped out crops in the northern Philippines.Super Typhoon

australia police serve court order via facebook

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SYDNEY – Australian police served a court order on an alleged cyber bully using the social networking site Facebook, officials said Wednesday, describing it as a national first.Victoria police got court approval to use the site after attempts