Small U.S. businesses thrive with Ethiopian woman’s help

Alfa Demmellash grew up on less than a dollar a day, and against the backdrop of torture and murder. But these days she’s living the American dream and helping others do the same. “Entrepreneurs are at the very heart of what the American dream is all about,” says Demmellash, a native of Ethiopia

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Iranian Politics: Watching ‘The Lord of the Rings’ in Tehran

On June 23, Iranian security forces, reportedly using live ammunition, clashed with protesters numbering in the hundreds in the area of the country’s parliament in Tehran. At the same time, there were indications that a behind-the-scenes struggle was intensifying in the corridors of power even as the government continued its campaign to quiet the populace through propaganda and entertainment.

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What Comes After the Recession: A Fun Free Recovery

Even as Congress belatedly tackles legislation that would cut U.S. carbon emissions and international negotiators bickered over a global climate deal in Bonn, Germany, a new report by several federal agencies underscores the truths that too often risk getting lost in politics: global warming is real, it’s happening now, and if we don’t act soon, the consequences are likely to be catastrophic.

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Sri Lanka Tourism Looks to Boom After War’s End

Hoteliers big and small in Sri Lanka are getting ready to cash in on what they say is the inevitable boom around the corner after last month’s end to the nation’s bloody quarter-century-old civil conflict. Tourism in this tropical-island nation was one of the industries hit hardest by the war between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam . From the white-sand beaches of Hikkaduwa to the verdant mountains of Kandy, the tourism industry has endured a 25-year-old yo-yo ride with profits fluctuating from year to year with the state of the conflict.

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BA pilots offered shares for pay cut

British Airways pilots are being urged to accept a deal under which they will receive shares in the struggling company in return for a pay cut, their union said Thursday. The move will save the company £26 million ($42 million) annually and is the latest measure to help the airline through the economic downturn.

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Climate Change Report Shows Things Going From Bad to Worse

Even as Congress belatedly tackles legislation that would cut U.S. carbon emissions and international negotiators have bickered over a global climate deal in Bonn, a new report by several federal agencies underscores the truths that too often risk getting lost in politics: global warming is real, it’s happening now and if we don’t act soon, the consequences are likely to be catastrophic. Scientists and officials working with the United States Global Change Research Program released on Tuesday the first climate change assessment to be completed during Barack Obama’s presidency.

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