Family mourns Pakistani policeman killed in terror attack

Eleven-year-old Hassanin stares at a photo of his uncle in quiet disbelief that the man in the picture lost his life just two days ago. “He was big man, healthy,” the boy says in halting English. “My uncle, very good policeman, I miss him

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The Health-Care Crisis Hits Home

When you’ve been strong and fit your whole life, it can be easy to discount your body’s first whispers of sickness as merely the side effects of daily living. Looking back over the past three years, my older brother Patrick now understands the meaning of his increasingly frequent bouts of fatigue, his fluctuating appetite and the fact that his blood pressure had crept up to 150/90.

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700 police fired in Dominican president’s war against corruption

Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez fired 700 police officers Sunday and forced the retirement of 31 military and police generals, two days after he promised in a state-of-the-nation speech to cleanse the government of corruption. Some analysts said the changes appear to be an attempt by Raul Castro to replace long-time Fidel Castro loyalists with his own supporters

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Raul Castro reorganizes Cuban Cabinet

President Raul Castro on Monday reorganized his Cabinet, replacing some long-time aides to his brother Fidel, who resigned from office a year ago citing poor health. The state-run newspaper Granma published an official notice from the State Council that said the changes were intended to form a structure that is “more compact and functional, with fewer organisms of the central administration of the state and a better distribution of the functions that they carry out.” Among the changes: Felipe Perez Roque, the 43-year-old foreign minister, was replaced by his deputy, Bruno Rodriguez Aprilla. Carlos Lage Davila, who helped guide the nation through its “special period” of dire economic times in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the loss of billions in subsidies, lost his job as Cabinet secretary, but no mention was made of removing him from his other post as vice president of the Council of State

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Opposition leader ban sparks Pakistan protests

Supporters of Pakistani opposition leader Nawaz Sharif took to the streets Thursday, burning cars and damaging shops, after the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that he and his brother cannot hold elected office. The protests also resulted from President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday imposing governor’s rule in the state of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous state. Punjab is the power center for Sharif’s party, and where his brother, Shahbaz, was chief minister

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Marriott Hotel ablaze in Pakistan

A fire has broken out at a major international hotel in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, five months after it was hit by a deadly suicide bombing. Smoke could be seen pouring from the upscale Marriott Hotel, close to the country’s presidential palace. There was no immediate word on the cause of the blaze.

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Big Brother star to wed after terminal cancer confirmed

British Big Brother star Jade Goody is fast-tracking plans to get married after being told doctors cannot cure her cancer. Goody, 27, only has months to live after her cervical cancer spread to her liver, bowel and groin, the British Press Association reported.

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