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JERSEY CITY, New Jersey — Hearings are getting under way at U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, ahead of the trial of five suspects accused of masterminding the September 11th attacks. The process is expected to be a long and tedious one and the start of the trial is several months away. The families of victims are watching closely.2
Some 1.4 billion people worldwide lack access to electricity. The World Bank says 600 million of them live in Africa. Efforts are underway to provide affordable and reliable energy for the hundreds of millions who live off the electrical grid.3
KABUL — Afghanistan is trying to unify the country through a new national educational curriculum. But a lack of security, books, trained teachers and schools is making it very challenging.4
BEIJING — Chinese companies have invested heavily in Africa in recent years and trade among Asian and African nations has soared. As their economic ties have grown, so have the number of African immigrants to China, now estimated at around half a million people.5
LONDON — In the months and years leading up to the London Olympics, there were some serious concerns about security. Security, in fact, was a core element of the preparations over a period of seven years. But the Games have been going on for more than two weeks - hundreds of events and millions of spectators in dozens of locations - so far with no serious incidents.6
He’s the former CEO of the multi-million dollar game company Cranium. In 2007, he sold it and moved to Ghana to start a company that leases rechargeable batteries to people who live off the electrical grid. Whit Alexander and his brother Max who decided to make the trip as well.7
In 2009 singer Kris Allen was crowned the winner of season eight on American Idol. Kris released his debut self-titled CD in 2009 and produced the Top 20 hit Live Like We're Dying. In May Kris released his sophomore CD "Thank You Camellia.8
Circumcision for baby boys was a common practice in the United States but, in the past several years, many parents and health insurance companies have decided against it claiming it was not be medically necessary. Now, a group of American pediatricians says the health benefits of male circumcision outweigh its risks.9
NEW YORK — Business in Nic Faitos’ Manhattan flower shop is, well, blossoming - up by nearly 20 percent since last year, when New York state approved same-sex marriage.10
LONDON — In the Olympics, teams representing different countries compete for medals and national pride -- but outside the main stadium in London there is another competition where the stakes are higher.11
The Olympics may last only a few weeks but for some of those who have been in London for the Games, having a life-long reminder of them is worth a few minutes of pain. Olympic athletes, games volunteers and tourists are lining up at London’s many tattoo parlors for a lasting souvenir of the Olympics experience.12
In northern Syria, residents of the rebel-held town of Azaz are cleaning up after an aerial bombardment by Syrian government planes killed about 50 people and wounded more than 100. It is being called one of the deadliest attacks in the 17-month uprising in which some 20,000 people have died.13
YAOUNDE, Cameroon — It’s a Monday morning at the Yaounde central hospital, and one of the busiest days of the week for the doctors and nurses who work here. Hundreds of sick people wait for their turn in one of the consultation rooms. For many, their fate is known in advance. One in four will be diagnosed with malaria.14
A narrow peninsula that looks like a scorpion curled around Cape Cod Bay, with its stinger pointed toward the Massachusetts mainland, is the summer capital of several northeast states.15
WASHINGTON — A major Chinese government-owned oil company’s effort to buy a Canadian company could help Beijing get the new technology needed to exploit the largest shale gas deposits in the world. This is just the latest in a series of Chinese foreign investments that are helping fuel China’s rapid economic growth and increasing energy supplies. But the latest Chinese move is raising concerns in the U.S. Congress.16
WASHINGTON — China is responding to accusations that it scuttled Southeast Asian unity over the South China Sea by lashing out at what it calls Western meddling among rival claimants. The Obama administration, though, says China should not pursue a "divide-and-conquer" strategy in the maritime standoff.17
LONDON — Olympic fans have travelled to London from all over the world to see the 2012 Games but probably no-one's journey has been quite as epic as the one made by Chen Guanming. The Chinese farmer covered 60,000 kilometers by pedicab in order to get to the Games.18
YINCHUAN, China — While Chinese wine connoisseurs spend lavishly at auctions for rare and esteemed foreign wines, inside China there are many working to improve the international reputation of the domestic wine industry. The desert-like region of Ningxia enjoys the best conditions in China for growing wine grapes, according to the local government.19
NEW YORK — For over a century, tourists and New York natives have flocked to Coney Island, a peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn. It's best known for its amusement parks and exciting rides but also features cool sea breezes and world famous hotdogs.20
The next phase of the U.S. presidential campaign is about to begin with the Republican and Democratic conventions. Republicans will meet in Tampa, Florida, beginning on Monday, August 27, to formally nominate Mitt Romney. Democrats gather in Charlotte, North Carolina the following week to nominate President Barack Obama for a second term.21
TAYLORVILLE, Illinois — The worst drought conditions in a generation are sending some U.S. farmers into their fields early to harvest corn. In the Midwest state of Illinois the poor condition of the corn is cutting into farmers' profits and is driving global prices higher.22
ANTAKYA, Turkey — Some Western and Arab Gulf powers say they are increasing humanitarian and support aid to the Syrian opposition. At the Turkey-Syria border, the main conduit for foreign aid to rebel fighters, there are signs the aid trail also may include covert arms smuggling.The Turkish city of Antakya is a hub for Syria. It's what analysts say most of the deals are being forged to aid the Free Syria Army rebels.23
DALLAS — Officials in Dallas, Texas, have stepped up efforts to combat West Nile virus after the deaths of 10 people there.24
DALLAS — Officials in Dallas, Texas and the surrounding county of the same name are continuing to spray by land and air in an effort to suppress mosquitoes that spread the West Nile virus. Health officials have reported more than 200 cases of fever caused by the virus in the Texas city, several times more than have been reported anywhere else in the country. The illness has also caused 10 deaths.25
LOS ANGELES – From Superman to Batman, many Hollywood heroes started out in comic books.26
A documentary about the Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei is being released across the United States, just months after the dissident's year-long probation in China was lifted. The film, by first-time director Alison Klayman, presents the artist as a creative force and a digital crusader, in addition to being a fighter for human rights.27
Record high temperatures and lack of rain across the United States continue to fuel the worst drought in a generation. For some farmers in the hardest hit areas, like the Midwest state of Illinois, the damage to corn and soybeans is already severe. Farmers are facing tough decisions about what to do with their wilting crops.28
LONDON — In East London near the main Olympic park, Britain's largest civil society organization recently held an interfaith Ramadan celebration with an Olympic theme. The event focused both on the Olympic tradition of peace and the positive economic impact the games are having on one of the city's most ethnically diverse areas.29
LONDON — Europe's economic crisis has continued over the summer, while attention was diverted by the Olympics, the war in Syria and other news. Some experts say the situation is getting worse and requires immediate and strong action that leaders do not seem ready to take.30
Iran is hosting a summit for dozens of nations in the Non-Aligned Movement, while some of those countries are complying with U.S. and international sanctions against Tehran for its nuclear program. Iran says its atomic program is for peaceful purposes.31
For many veteran fans of the Olympics, the London experience has so far been quite different than that of the Beijing games in 2010.32
"Ruby Sparks," a romantic comedy from the directors of "Little Miss Sunshine," explores the challenges of creativity and love when a young author's fantasy woman comes to life.33
Agriculture legislation known as the “Farm Bill”, scheduled to expire at the end of September, is one of the top issues on the presidential campaign trail in the Midwest state of Iowa. Continued drought conditions, and lack of action by legislators on renewing Farm Bill legislation, could influence voters when they head to the polls in November.34
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN —Law enforcement officials are beginning to learn more about 40-year-old Wade Michael Page, the man who allegedly killed six worshipers and injured three others at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. As the investigation continues, the Sikh community in Oak Creek is mourning those who died, including the temple’s president.35
At the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, the president of the International Olympic Committee said this year's Games had proved to be a "major boost for gender equality". For the first time, women are competing in all 26 sports.36
TAKOMA PARK, MD — The execution in Texas of a man alleged to have been mentally disabled has once again brought attention to the issue of capital punishment in the United States.37
PARIS — Not so long ago, Americans and Japanese tourists were the major spenders in France. During these summer months, France's tourism industry now is courting additional clients with major purchasing power: the Chinese. For some French, that means going back to the classroom to study Mandarin.38
RANGOON — After months of delays, Burma's information ministry this week kept its pledge to lift part of its decades-old censorship policy. While reporters and editors grapple with the transition, many say a free press has not yet arrived.39
Each year, fishermen catch millions of sharks, cut off their fins, and dump the bodies into the ocean to die. The fins are used to make shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy sold in many countries. Recently, a team of scientists and environmental groups collected soup from restaurants across the United States and analyzed the soups' genetic make-up. They found endangered species on the menu.40
When the climate began to warm during the last Ice Age about 23,000 years ago, much of the Northern Hemisphere was covered in ice.41
PHNON PENH — Independent radio station owner Mam Sonando is in a Cambodian prison awaiting trial on charges of insurrection. He was Beehive Radio’s sole reporter, and its main on-air personality. But while he is gone from the airwaves, he has not been forgotten - especially among the station’s loyal listeners.42
WASHINGTON — In all the anger over rival claims to the South China Sea, Indonesia has emerged as a voice of calm, working to mediate a dispute involving China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Malaysia.43
WASHINGTON — With every presidential election, the role and impact of the Internet grows. In 2012, so-called ‘social media,’ such as Facebook, Twitter and the like, have become a prominent means of political communication.44
Beginning on Sunday, representatives of nearly 120 nations will convene in Iran's capital for the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. The conference provides a break for Iran from international isolation over its disputed nuclear program and a chance for the movement to get some unaccustomed attention.45
LONDON — Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara is making a renewed push for U.N.-backed military intervention in Mali, to stem the advance by Islamist rebel forces linked to al Qaeda.46
YEFREN, Libya — Libya's revolution has led to renewed demands from the country's Berber minority for cultural and language rights and full integration into the Arab-majority country. Such demands have been heard before, but this time the local people believe their goals are being achieved.47
HOUSTON — A study unveiled this week in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrates the safety and benefits of a small heart pump first developed in Germany and called The "Berlin Heart." There were 17 institutions in North America and Europe involved in the study, which was led by doctors in Houston, at Baylor College of Medicine and the Texas Children's Hospital. A number of young lives were saved during the test period that began in 2007.48
The head of Pakistan's ISI spy agency, Lieutenant-General Zahir ul-Islam, is in Washington to meet with CIA director David Petraeus, the first such visit since a covert U.S. raid killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan more than a year ago.49
The Malian Afro-blues duo Amadou and Mariam brought their seventh studio recording to stages across the U.S., as they toured North America.50
JUBA, South Sudan — South Sudan emerged as a nation in July 2011 after almost five decades of civil war with the north. But despite its bloody history, the country does not have a single psychiatrist and no option but to sedate or imprison the masses suffering from post-war trauma.51
The U.S. space agency is preparing for its newest Mars rover, Curiosity, to touch down on the Red Planet on August 6. The rover's entry and descent will be nerve-wracking for NASA engineers, compounded by a 14-minute delay as the rover's signals travel to Earth from Mars. If successful, Curiosity will be the sixth NASA spacecraft to land on the Red Planet.52
Sahar Sarshar53
Most people who go to the Olympic Games are hoping to be entertained by world-class sports. And for many, there is a second goal: buying a souvenir to prove they were there.54
The Olympics were expected to bring huge crowds to London, over-burdening the roads and transit system, and providing a boost to the city’s businesses. But the crowds have not materialized, leaving many businesses with fewer customers than they would have during a normal summer season.55
LONDON — A little known requirement for every Olympic Games host city is to put on a stamp-collecting exhibit. Usually these are small and attract only serious collectors. But in London, the exhibit is designed for a larger audience.56
BATH, England — Athletes from around the world are gathering in London again this week but this time they are Paralympians.57
TAMPA, Florida — Delegates at U.S. party conventions come from all 50 states and several territories with one simple job - to nominate the candidate they hope will win the presidency in November.58
LONDON — U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever, said Monday that he has accomplished all his goals and dreams in competitive swimming and now he wants to enjoy life.59
LONDON — Despite the fact that the Olympics this year are being held in Great Britain, a country that protects free speech, so far there have been very few political demonstrations during the games. Some groups have decided that protesting during the Olympics would do more harm than good for their causes.60
Every four years in the United States, national political party conventions are held to officially introduce the presidential nominees to Americans. Early conventions were often governed by backroom negotiations to choose the nominees for the Democratic and Republican parties. But now they are mainly ceremonial. And some question the need to hold them any more.61
The Australian High Court has upheld a tough law prohibiting tobacco companies from displaying their logos on cigarette packs. The European Union is considering a similar ban. But experts say the larger picture still favors tobacco use. A new international study carried out in 16 countries found that regulation of tobacco use in several is still weak.62
TAMPA — The Republican convention's host city of Tampa is home to a well-established Hispanic community, with Cuban cigar shops and restaurants that attract delegates and even a U.S. senator.63
LOS ANGELES — American Sikhs have been mourning the victims of the mass shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin - and are trying to comprehend an act that seems senseless. The shooter's motives are unclear, but one organization that monitors hate groups points to the Internet as a breeding ground for racial hatred.64
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced the choice of his vice-presidential running mate Saturday, Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan.65
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney will be formally nominated next week as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate at the party's convention in Tampa, Florida.66
IKEMELENG, South Africa — The shock, the mourning, and now the questions 10 days after the shoot-out in a South African platinum mine in which police killed 34 striking miners. The tragedy laid bare the harsh living conditions of the workers and the growing anger in the mines.67
South Sudan's Human Rights Commission issued its annual report this week, finding that the country has repeatedly violated its citizens' human rights during the first year of independence.68
NEW YORK — In an age of packaged entertainment, special effects and YouTube, Coney Island sideshows continue to stun and amaze, much as they have for more than a century.69
NAIROBI—The Nairobi-based Slum Film Festival showcases the work of East African filmmakers living in the slums. This year, the judges selected 33 films to be shown in Kibera and Mathare, two huge Nairobi slums.70
CHICAGO — A recent study by the Pew Research Center reveals that, for the first time, Asians outpaced Hispanics as the fastest growing immigrant population in the United States. Job seekers of South Asian origin make up the bulk of Chicago's new immigrant community, filling a critical demand for highly skilled technology workers.71
NEW YORK — A senior New York Police Department official says that spying on the city’s Muslim community has not yielded a single criminal lead. Some Muslim targets of surveillance feel vindicated.72
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — St. Petersburg was built to be Russia’s window on Europe. Now it is becoming the world’s window on Russia. Coming by train, plane and cruise ship, more than 6 million tourists this year are expected to visit St. Petersburg, Russia’s cultural capital. That is more than the tourist flow to Moscow, the nation’s business and government capital.73
The beginnings of the English language are rooted in Turkey, a new study suggests.74
Study Looks at Role Airports Play in Spread of Disease, Pandemics75
Study Says Pregnant Women Should Get Flu Shot76
CAPE COD, Massachusetts — As the sun sets on Cape Cod and the swimmers leave the beach, local ball fields light up here top college players go head ahead in the Cape Cod Baseball League.77
BEKAA VALLEY, Lebanon — The 17-month long conflict in Syria has harmed neighboring Lebanon's agriculture sector, which employs about 15 percent of the population. And with nearly 80 percent of Lebanon's exports passing through Syria, recent closings of the main border crossing to commercial traffic have Lebanon's farmers fearful that, if the conflict continues, their livelihoods will be devastated.78
TAL RIFAT, Syria — Stretched to defend several fronts on the ground, Syrian government forces have intensified air attacks on northern towns and villages controlled by rebels of the Free Syrian Army. Bombings and artillery barrages have killed hundreds of people and emptied some places of most of their inhabitants.79
AFRIN, Syria — As fighting intensifies in the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Damascus, the Syrian government has withdrawn its troops from several Kurdish areas in northern Syria. Kurdish leaders there have set up their own security force and say they intend to maintain control of their areas no matter what happens in Syria's conflict. Some Kurds see this as a step toward fulfilling the dream of having their own homeland.80
MAREA, Northern Syria — Rebels fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are a diverse group, ranging from young civilians with no military experience to seasoned soldiers who defected from the army. But they all have the same goal, the end of the Assad regime which considers them to be terrorists.81
TRIPOLI, Lebanon — The United Nations says more than 30,000 Syrians have sought refuge from their country's conflict in neighboring Lebanon. Many of those refugees have sought out smugglers to spirit them to safety.82
AUSTIN, Texas — Officials in the southwest U.S. state of Texas are tracking the spread of the West Nile virus, which has killed 21 people in the state so far this year and has sickened nearly 700. While the Dallas metropolitan area has had the most cases, the disease is cropping up all across the state.83
Journalists from around the world have swamped London for the Olympic Games and at the Media Center in Olympics Park, press officers are working hard to make sure all their needs are met.84
Each year, a group called the Center for America, which is critical of frivolous lawsits, selects the year’s top five “Wacky Warning Labels.”85
ANTAKYA, Turkey — As the Syrian uprising rages on, the rebel Free Syria Army is getting some technological help from young Syrians living outside the country. Two brothers are risking their lives to aid the rebels in what they call “the media war” against the Syrian government.86
A Billboard magazine review of the Zac Brown Band’s latest release, “Uncaged,” said, “This might well be the best country release of 2012 so far, and that could even be an understatement.”87
LONDON — Olympic track and field competition begins Friday, and the U.S. team has been out in London getting ready.88
STATE DEPARTMENT – Sectarian violence in Syria is spilling across the Lebanese border with new clashes Friday in Tripoli.89
Sectarian violence in Syria is spilling across the Lebanese border with new clashes Friday in Tripoli.90
There's good news for the U.S. housing market. Newly released figures show a modest uptick in the sales of new and used homes in July. Average home prices also are rising. But a number of obstacles remain for the struggling housing market.91
The United States says the death of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is a loss for the peace process in Sudan and South Sudan. But it could bring about an improvement in human rights inside Ethiopia.92
SILVER SPRING, Maryland — One of the oldest museums in the United States is devoted to the history of medical technology including items that were used to treat people and so-called anatomical collections of bones and preserved human organs. The National Museum of Health and Medicine originally opened as the Army Medical Museum during the Civil War. It's celebrating its 150th anniversary with a new building for its massive collection of rare - and sometimes morbid - items.93
LONDON — Some athletes who failed to qualify for their country's Olympic team still made it to London as part of the back-up squad, and will compete if the starters get injured, quit or are disqualified. Two alternate gymnasts practicing with the U.S. team have definite thoughts about the bittersweet experience of almost making the Olympic squad.94
— A key voting bloc in President Barack Obama's victory four years ago was the youth vote. But his Democratic Party is finding it harder to energize young voters this time around. Young citizens are also beset by economic problems, which Republicans at their national convention say their presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, can fix.95
Labor Day in the United States is a time to honor the contribution of workers. Recently, workers in the U.S. have fallen on tough times. Unemployment is high, while wages and benefits continue to decline -- along with the ranks of organized labor. With the presidential campaign in full swing, both candidates are claiming they can do what's best for the American worker.96
WASHINGTON — When U.S. voters choose a presidential candidate, they get a vice president as part of the package. There are several key factors that go into picking a vice presidential candidate.97
A few years ago, a Dutchman with a dream walked into a government office in Nairobi. In his hand he carried an application form to lease land near Lake Turkana in Kenya’s isolated north-east.98
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — U.S. authorities have identified the gunman who opened fire during Sunday services at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He has been identified as a former American soldier, Wade Michael Page, a 40-year-old man who served in the U.S. Army for about six years in the 1990s before being dismissed with less than an honorable discharge.99
While tickets to the London Olympic games may be hard to come by, there are still plenty of places in the city where fans can go to cheer on their favorite teams for free. The city of London has set up of sites that offer perhaps the next best thing to being at the games.100
LENOX, Massachusetts — For over 50 years, music John Williams has taken us to galaxies far, far away , on adventures around the world.101
NAIROBI — Contemporary art in Kenya is facing challenges. Art education in schools is lacking, and the art market, dominated by tourists and expatriates, tends to stifle experimentation. Despite this, two young artists are producing innovative work, encouraged by an unusual art gallery.102
Relationships and romance. They are tough to navigate for all young men and women, and they are even more complicated for young people who are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.