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Russia's Medvedev has 70 pct support: opinion poll

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin's anointed successor, Dmitry Medvedev, has the support of 70.4 percent of the voters and will easily win the presidential election in 10 days' time, a poll on Thursday said.

China reports second bird flu death in a month

BEIJING: A man has died of bird flu in southern China, the second death in the country from the deadly disease in a month, state media reported Thursday.

Serbs mass in Belgrade to vent anger over Kosovo

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbs poured into their capital on Thursday for a state-run mass protest against Kosovo's declaration of independence, showing their anger at the loss of their religious heartland.

Kenya government agrees in principle to PM post

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's government said on Thursday it agreed in principle to creating a prime minister's post demanded by the opposition, a possible breakthrough in a political crisis some worry could explode into violence again.

US cites CIA flight 'mistakes'

MONROVIA (AFP) - The White House acknowledged Thursday that "mistakes were made" in not notifying Britain about two so-called "extraordinary rendition" US flights that refuelled on British soil.

Chad rebels deny government talks as EU troops fly in

N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - Chadian rebels denied a government statement on Thursday that they had begun peace talks, dampening hopes for a negotiated settlement as European peacekeepers flew in to the central African country.

US missile shoots down toxic spy satellite

HONOLULU (AFP) - A US missile shot down a rogue US spy satellite in space carrying dangerous toxic fuel, defense officials said, as China raised suspicions about the operation.

Israel's demise speeded up by Moughniyah murder: IRNA

TEHRAN (Reuters) - The assassination of a top Hezbollah commander will accelerate Israel's demise at the hands of outraged followers of the Shi'ite Lebanese group, an adviser to Iran's most powerful figure said on Thursday.

Afghan mission vital for NATO's credibility: Scheffer

KABUL (Reuters) - NATO's secretary-general on Thursday said the alliance's future rested on its mission in Afghanistan, amid tension among some of its members over sending troops to fight Taliban and al Qaeda militants.

China newspaper ad salutes Tiananmen mothers

BEIJING (Reuters) - An advertisement saluting mothers of students and workers killed in the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown appeared in a newspaper in southwest China on Monday, two witnesses said, in a rare public criticism of the massacre.

Letters by Napoleon, Churchill kept in laundry room

LONDON (Reuters) - One of the word's greatest collections of historical letters, including a note written by Napoleon to his lover Josephine, has been found in a filing cabinet tucked away in a Swiss laundry room.

Janelle Weiner

Janelle Weiner is a high school teacher and mother of two. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor’s degree in English and holds a Master’s in Special Education from Boston University. Janelle has taught in city schools in Oakland, Boston, and Sacramento, where she currently resides.

Italy's Eni buys Yukos assets in breakthrough deal

MOSCOW (AFP) - Italian energy company Eni paid 5.81 billion dollars (4.35 billion euros) for a clutch of assets of stricken oil company Yukos on Wednesday, crowning months of talks on entering Russia's upstream energy sector.

Poland and Russia row over Auschwitz exhibition

WARSAW (Reuters) - A row has broken out between Poland and Russia over a memorial at the Auschwitz death camp to Russian victims of World War Two and the Nazi Holocaust, rekindling old resentments between the two countries.

US speaker meets Assad despite Bush anger

DAMASCUS (AFP) - US House speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday she was ready to promote peace between Syria and Israel, after talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that have drawn White House wrath.

Iran frees British sailors after 13-day crisis

TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran released 15 British sailors on Wednesday as a "gift' to the people of Britain in a dramatic end to a two-week ordeal that had triggered a new diplomatic crisis between Tehran and the West.

NYSE-Euronext makes its debut

PARIS (AFP) - A transatlantic stock market giant made its trading debut Wednesday as the newly-merged market operator NYSE Euronext listed in Paris and New York at an initial reference price of 75.61 euros.

Three firms to share record US government telecom contract

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Three firms were awarded a share Thursday in a massive contract to revamp US government's telecom networks worth at least 20 billion dollars over the next 10 years.

Arab leaders relaunch Mideast peace plan

RIYADH (AFP) - Arab leaders on Thursday wrapped up a summit where they relaunched a five-year-old blueprint for peace in the Middle East, although Israel has rejected the plan as it stands.

Ethiopian offensive spurs deadly violence in Somali capital

MOGADISHU (AFP) - Seven Ethiopian soldiers were killed on Thursday in Mogadishu, and two of their bodies dragged through the streets amid heavy fighting sparked by an Ethiopian offensive against insurgents.

US growth revised up to 2.5 percent in 4th quarter

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US economy expanded at a 2.5 percent annualized pace in the fourth quarter of 2006, a bit faster than earlier estimates, revised data showed Thursday.

Mauritian sugar planter worries for the future

GRAND SABLE, Mauritius (Reuters) - Mauritian planter Suryadev Benee does not follow the intricacies of European agricultural policy, but he knows about his sugar.

No quick exit for peacekeepers in Kosovo

BELGRADE (Reuters) - "We've got to get you out of here," President George W. Bush told the U.S. Army commander in Kosovo in 2001.

Musharraf vows to empower women in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - President Pervez Musharraf vowed on Thursday to support reforms to empower women in Pakistan's male-dominated society, but said the ultimate responsibility for change lay with women.

EU summit urges unity in heated debate on global warming

BRUSSELS (AFP) - European Union leaders gathered in Brussels Thursday seeking a landmark accord to fight climate change amid divisions over the best way to choke off greenhouse gases.

Indonesia plane crash kills 23, scores escape

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) - An Indonesian passenger jet overshot the runway and burst into flames on Wednesday as it landed in the cultural capital of Yogyakarta, but most of the 140 people on board survived.

Cuba says not ready for an influx of U.S. tourists

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba is not ready for the throngs of American tourists who would be expected to visit the island if a U.S. ban is ever lifted, but it has the time to build new hotels, a senior Cuban official said on Wednesday.

Rwanda asks U.N. to remove arms proviso

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Rwanda appealed on Wednesday for the U.N. Security Council to abolish a provision requiring notification of all arms exports to the African nation, saying it impeded its ability to equip peacekeepers.

EU powers at IAEA urge Iran to take nuclear timeout

VIENNA (Reuters) - EU powers urged Iran on Wednesday to embrace a U.N. idea of a "timeout" from nuclear activity they fear could yield atom bombs, saying sanctions they sponsored against Tehran would be simultaneously suspended.

Russian U.N. diplomat guilty of money laundering

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Russian diplomat who once chaired a U.N. budget committee was found guilty on Wednesday of helping launder hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and taking a share of the money.

Northern Ireland votes in assembly election

BELFAST (Reuters) - Northern Ireland voted on Wednesday in an election that could allow the return of a government shared between Protestants and Catholics and help cement a lasting political settlement after decades of conflict.

NKorea complains to UN chief about Japan raids

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Japan has created "a horrific atmosphere of terror" for its Korean residents since it began cracking down on their activities, North Korea's U.N. envoy said on Wednesday.

UK radical guilty of inciting murder over cartoons

LONDON (Reuters) - A radical Muslim demonstrator was found guilty on Wednesday of two counts of inciting murder at protests in London last year against cartoons in a Danish newspaper which offended many Muslims.

Insurgents target AU peacekeepers in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Gunmen fired rockets near Mogadishu's airport on Wednesday, witnesses said, apparently heeding an Islamist call to fight African Union peacekeepers arriving to help the interim government restore order.

Australian Guantanamo inmate to face court

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australian Guantanamo Bay inmate David Hicks will have his first court appearance on March 20 charged with providing material support for terrorism, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Thursday.

Count begins after Northern Ireland assembly vote

BELFAST (Reuters) - Vote counting begins in Northern Ireland on Thursday after an election for an assembly where voters hope feuding politicians will set aside bitter differences and finally work together to resolve local problems.

N. Ireland polls close as self-rule comes to the crunch

BELFAST, March 7, 2007 (AFP) - Northern Ireland's polling stations closed Wednesday after a day of voting aimed at triggering one last shot at creating a power-sharing administration between Protestants and Catholics.

The sword in the pen

It is a tough fight against censorship for China's writers, but mystery author Qiu Xiaolong is up to the task.

More women working but inequalities are acute: U.N.

GENEVA (Reuters) - More women are working than ever before, but most are stuck in low-wage jobs and virtually all are paid less than their male counterparts, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Thursday.

North Korea complains to U.N. about Japan raids

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Japan has created "a horrific atmosphere of terror" for its Korean residents since it began cracking down on their activities, North Korea's U.N. envoy said on Wednesday.

Palestinians to discuss wider truce with Israel

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas are to sound out militant groups on extending a ceasefire with Israel from Gaza to the West Bank, officials said on Wednesday.

Russian U.N. diplomat guilty of money laundering

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Russian diplomat who once chaired a U.N. budget committee was found guilty on Wednesday of helping launder hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and taking a share of the money.

EU offers olive branch to Iran on nuclear issue

VIENNA (AFP) - The European Union urged Iran on Wednesday to take up an offer to suspend its nuclear enrichment in return for suspending sanctions on Tehran.

Security Council urges end to violence against women in armed conflicts

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN Security Council on Wednesday urged an end to impunity for all acts of violence against women and girls in armed conflicts, and prosecution of those responsible for such crimes.

Pilgrims targeted in Iraq amid backlash fears

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Thousands of Shiite pilgrims braved a deadly gauntlet of sectarian attacks that left 66 dead on Wednesday, amid fears that a backlash against Sunnis could undermine the US-led Baghdad security plan.