Collapsed building traps 2 in Germany

Rescuers in Germany reduced the number of people they were searching for in a building collapse from nine to two, a fire department spokesman said late Tuesday. Seven people who earlier had been reported missing contacted authorities to say they were safe, the spokesman explained. The two remaining victims are men missing from a residential building heavily damaged when another building collapsed, said the spokesman.

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China Goes on a Smart Shopping Spree

The world might be sinking into its worst recession in generations, but China is on a wild shopping spree. Sitting some $2 trillion of cash reserves, Beijing is taking advantage of the woes of others to cement its grip on new sources of commodities ranging from olive oil to crude oil —often at fire-sale prices. China’s growth rate may be slowing in concert with the world economy, but even at that slower rate, its economy continues to expand, requiring a steady increase in supplies of oil, copper, aluminum and other minerals.

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Vatican: Holocaust denier’s apology not enough

The Vatican said Friday it is not satisfied by the apology issued by a Catholic bishop who denied the Holocaust, saying the cleric must still clearly "distance himself" from the controversial comments. Bishop Richard Williamson, who is now in England, issued a statement Thursday saying he regretted making the remarks.

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Turks, Americans are Amsterdam crash dead

The nationalities of the people killed in the Turkish Airlines plane crash near Amsterdam’s main airport have been identified as five Turks and four U.S. citizens. Among the dead were two Boeing employees, among four onboard the flight, their company said late Thursday in a posting on its Web site.

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Amanpour: Obama’s call to arms and optimism

"As we stand at this crossroads of history, the eyes of all people in all nations are once again upon us — watching to see what we do with this moment; waiting for us to lead," President Obama said Tuesday night. “Those of us gathered here tonight have been called to govern in extraordinary times. It is a tremendous burden, but also a great privilege — one that has been entrusted to few generations of Americans.

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