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Parliament in legal limbo in Egypt power struggle

Egypt’s parliament was hanging in legal limbo on Wednesday after a top court overruled a presidential decree reinstating the dissolved house, stepping up a power struggle between the president and the army. Full story

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Japan, China in fresh territorial row

Japan summoned the Chinese ambassador on Wednesday as a diplomatic row flared over a remote chain of islands, with Beijing asserting its ‘indisputable sovereignty’ to the uninhabited territory. Full story

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Indian children’s homes under abuse spotlight

A series of sex abuse scandals at orphanages and shelters in India has sounded alarms over the management of children’s homes, many of which operate with little or no public oversight. Full story

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Libya’s Jibril extends lead in latest vote tallies

Libya’s wartime prime minister Mahmoud Jibril extended his lead in the North African country’s landmark elections, partial vote tallies showed on Wednesday, as Islamist rivals tried to bolster their score by striking... Full story

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Kidnapping of journalists raises tensions in Libya

The kidnapping of two Libyan journalists as they covered elections in the town of Bani Walid, a last bastion of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime, has raised tensions in the North African nation. The country’s interim authorities... Full story

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54 migrants die of thirst in Mediterranean boat drama

Fifty-four migrants trying to reach Italy died of thirst when their inflatable boat ruptured in the Mediterranean, according to testimony from the sole survivor, the UN refugee agency said. The rescued man, who drank... Full story

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Thousands rally in Madrid against coal mining cuts

Spanish coal miners and tens of thousands of fellow workers massed in Madrid Wednesday, yelling their anger at crisis subsidy cuts that they say will destroy entire communities. Hundreds of miners who had hiked... Full story

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Raul Castro in Moscow to revive ties

Cuban leader Raul Castro prepared Wednesday to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin after touring China and Vietnam in hopes of winning new aid from old allies for his sanctions-plagued communist state. Full story

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Bosnia to bury hundreds at Srebrenica massacre site

Weeping Bosnians prepared Wednesday to bury 520 victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, with the two alleged masterminds of the slaughter finally on trial for genocide. About 30,000 people were gathered... Full story

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Iran warns media against reporting impact of sanctions

Iran has warned the media against the publication of reports concerning the impact of Western sanctions, urging it to cooperate so that ‘the country is not hurt,’ local newspapers reported on Wednesday. Full story

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Afghan women protest over woman’s public execution

Dozens of rights activists took to the streets Wednesday to protest over the recent public execution of a young woman for alleged adultery, which was captured in a horrific video. The 22-year-old victim was shot dead... Full story

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Chinese woman compensated for late abortion

Chinese authorities have paid $11,000 to a woman forced to abort seven months into her pregnancy, her lawyer said Wednesday, adding that the money would never compensate for her endless pain. Full story

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1st US envoy in 22 years to arrive in Myanmar

The first US ambassador to Myanmar in over two decades will arrive to take up his post on Wednesday, US officials said, as dramatic reforms spur greater engagement with the long-time army-run nation. Full story

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Thai kings pardons for US citizen jailed for royal insult

A Thai-born US citizen jailed for insulting Thailand’s king has received a royal pardon, officials said Wednesday, a move welcomed by Washington which had issued a rare rebuke to Bangkok over the case. Full story

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Syrian rebels fail to sway defiant Russia

Syria’s main exiled opposition group on Wednesday failed to convince Russia to drop its support for president Bashar al-Assad as Moscow defiantly clung to its rejection of outside intervention. Full story

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Warlords keep huge army of child soldiers in slavery

More than 11,000 child soldiers were freed from military slavery last year, but the United Nations believes hundreds of thousands around the world remain at the mercy of warlords like Thomas Lubanga. Full story

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Obama expands lead on Romney, voters more optimistic

The US president, Barack Obama, expanded his lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney to 6 percentage points in the White House race this month as voters became slightly more optimistic about the economy... Full story

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Mandela’s ex-wife Winnie furious at ANC

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, has accused the ruling ANC party of neglecting the Mandela family and abusing its name, according to a letter cited by local media on Wednesday. Full story

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