BEIJING – Chinese state media say Deng Liqun, a former conservative propaganda chief known for his criticism of the economic reforms, has died. He was 99. The official Xinhua News Agency said Deng died in Beijing on Tuesday of illnesses, but did not specify. Unrelated to Deng Xiaoping, the former …
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MEXICO CITY – Mexican authorities say at least five federal police officers have been wounded in an armed standoff with state agents in southern Mexico. The Oaxaca state government says in a statement that between 250 and 300 local police have been barricaded in a police station in the town …
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BEIRUT – Activists say Syrian government forces backed by Lebanon’s Hezbollah fighters have captured two villages near the northern city of Aleppo, and will soon be able to besiege rebel-held neighborhoods in the country’s largest city. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Aleppo-based activist Amer Hassan say government …
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OTTAWA, Ontario – A Canadian politician has blamed cheap, tight underwear for his sudden departure from Parliament causing him to miss a vote on anti-terror legislation. Opposition lawmaker Pat Martin told Parliament Thursday he had bought a bunch of men’s underwear for half price which were clearly too small for …
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MOSCOW – Russia’s space agency expects the International Space Station to stay in orbit through 2024, and plans to create its own space outpost with its segment of the station after that. Roscosmos’ scientific council concluded Tuesday that several Russian modules could eventually be undocked to “perform the task of …
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SEOUL, South Korea – A South Korean court on Thursday abolished a 62-year-old law that criminalized extramarital affairs, and the stock price of a prominent condom maker immediately shot up 15 percent. The Constitutional Court’s ruling that the law suppressed personal freedoms could affect many of the more than 5,400 …
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NEW YORK – Antonio Banderas has some big shoes to fill in his Broadway debut. The Spanish heartthrob’s latest starring role is inNine, a musical based on legendary filmmaker Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2, which is intimidating enough. Add to that the fact that the original 1982 production byTommy Tune (search)won …
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KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan official says at least five people have died in heavy flooding in the northern province of Baghlan. Jawed Basharat, spokesman for the provincial police chief, says the flooding hit three different districts on Monday, including Puli Khamri, the provincial capital. He says none people were …
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Humanitarian aid for North Korea faces “significant underfunding” while more than half of the country’s population faces food insecurity, a new United Nations report said Wednesday. The report also said that U.S. sanctions forced some U.N. agencies to suspend programs and operations last year. U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos tweeted …
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WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Britain’s Prince Harry is planning a weeklong visit to New Zealand next month that will include a stop on remote Stewart Island, population 378. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key on Monday announced the visit, which will be Harry’s first to the South Pacific nation. Harry …
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