South Africa News Blog @newzblogz.com

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Eli Lilly and Co. is pumping an additional $50 million into a partnership it created four years ago to treat multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, a disease found mostly in poor or developing countries. Lilly started the partnership in 2003 and has donated two antibiotics that are used in a four-drug cocktail to treat patients. The drug maker also gave the technology, formula and trademark for the antibiotics - Capastat and Seromycin - to generic drug makers in countries ha...

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Tiger Woods watches his tee shot on the third hole during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, March 18, 2007. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

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TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's top leader warned Wednesday his country will pursue "illegal actions" if the U.N. Security Council insists it halt uranium enrichment, an apparent reference to nuclear activities outside international regulations. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also warned the United States that Iran would fight back with "all its capacities" if attacked. "Until today, what we have done has been in accordance with international regulations," Khamenei said. "But if they take illegal action...

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Re: Larry Smilgius? ?Don?t be soft-hearted? letter.

It is appropriate that the Riviera Golf Estate association?s ?ruling authority? should enforce the rules established for the ?health, safety and benefit of the majority.?

But, how does Paul Smith?s hobby of making dominoes infringe on anyone?s health, safety or benefit?

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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also warned the United States that Iran would fight back with "all its capacities" if attacked.

"Until today, what we have done has been in accordance with international regulations," Khamenei said. "But if they take illegal actions, we, too, can take illegal actions and will do so."

He did not elaborate on what the "illegal actions" could be, but Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the agreement under which the U.N. inspections are held.

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TEHRAN, Iran ? Iran's top leader warned Wednesday his country will pursue "illegal actions" if the U.N. Security Council insists it halt uranium enrichment, an apparent reference to nuclear activities outside international regulations.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also warned the United States that Iran would fight back with "all its capacities" if attacked.

"Until today, what we have done has been in accordance with international regulations," Khamenei said. "But if they take illegal actions, we too can take illegal actions and will do so."

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Today is Wednesday, March 21, the 80th day of 2007. There are 285 days left in the year. Today?s Highlight in History:

On March 21, 1685, composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany.

On this date:

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MELBOURNE, Australia - On the Web site for the world swimming championships, the organizers keep a running medal tally, giving props to the top five countries. Let's see how the United States is faring.

Russia is out to quick lead, thanks to its dominance of two lesser-known forms of swimming - synchronized and open water. It appears no one can match the Russians when it comes to competing upside down with a clip on your nose, or while battling those nasty jellyfish in Port Phillip Bay.

Next in the standings is China, which has been unbeatable off the diving board. Then comes Germany, Japan and Spain.

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First black U.N. Ambassador to South Africa honored

Edward J. Perkins, who grew up in the cotton fields of a segregated Louisiana, became the first black ambassador the United States sent to South Africa at the height of the struggle against apartheid in 1986.

For his role in South Africa and his lifetime of service, the University of Southern California (USC) will give Perkins MPA 72, DPA 78 its highest honor for alumni accomplishment: the Asa V. Call Achievement Award.

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Visit the City Council candidates Web sites at the following addresses:

* John Clark, mayoral candidate: jgclark.net

* Gary Kespohl, Third Ward: kespohlforcouncil.com

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NEW DELHI - It's not easy being a meat eater in India, the world center of vegetarianism.

With close to 200 million strict vegetarians and another half-billion people who only rarely sample meat, India caters to vegetarians as the norm. Most supermarkets are vegetarian. So are many roadside restaurants, their signs touting "Veg," "Pure Veg" or "100 Percent Vegetarian" cuisine. In India, it is meat eaters, not vegetarians, who must comb the menu to find something appealing, usually in the limited "non-veg" section at the bottom.

I am not a particularly devoted carnivore. I have at times gone months without eating meat, largely because I was too lazy to make anything for dinner beyond a bowl of cereal. I also have spent much of my adult life working in meat-loving regions of the world where being a vegetarian amounts to eating plates of rice and french fries and very little else.

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Eli Lilly and Co. is pumping an additional $50 million into a partnership it created four years ago to treat multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, a disease found mostly in poor or developing countries. Lilly started the partnership in 2003 and has donated two antibiotics that are used in a four-drug cocktail to treat patients. The drug maker also gave the technology, formula and trademark for the antibiotics - Capastat and Seromycin - to generic drug makers in countries ha...

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So often, when we read the paper or speak with friends, we hear the Jewish community described in singular form. Who will the Jews vote for? What issues are driving Jews? How does the Jewish community feel about ...?

To the outside world, the American Jewish community may seem monolithic. But increasingly, as our community becomes more economically and geographically diverse, we know that we do not speak with one voice. Our priorities are divergent, and the issues that resonate with us change as we grow, raise our children and retire.

But there are some issues about which we can and should speak as a united community, where our agreement is so strong, despite our diversity. On these occasions, it is essential for the entire American country to know that we are speaking together and for us to use our collective weight to our advantage. When we can unite around an issue and focus our attention on it, we have a better chance of effecting real change.

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DORAL — The Florida Swing hasn't turned out to be a warm and fuzzy ride for the PGA Tour this year.

Even with the challenging Players Championship moved to May, the Florida Swing has been swinging away at the world's top golfers.

The combined winning scores at the Honda Classic at PGA National, the PODS Championship at Innisbrook and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill was a 23 under par.

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Like a Hooters restaurant in Saudi Arabia, it was an operation doomed to fail. But when the Swarthmore College Republicans officially disbanded earlier this month, it was the end of a particularly long-lived hope for political diversity in a predominantly liberal college. Time passes, however, and even after this small fire, Swarthmore’s social arboretum renews itself. And now, as we look forward to many happy years of total pinko power, the demise of the Swarthmore Right encourages us to look back at a helpful, if at times kooky, history of student organizations and learn.

The earliest archives of The Phoenix, which was first published in 1882, record only so much of the annals of student life, opting instead for stuffy novelettes and scholarly legal discussions within its pages. However, we can learn from Swarthmore’s online historical account, “An Onward Spirit,” that some of the more notable contributions to the social scene included two all-male literary societies and the all-female Somerville Literary Society, all of which ostensibly fell by the wayside with the advent of chewing gum, rubber bands and better things to do.

Most Swarthmore students walked into the new century as brothers or sisters of the college’s six fraternities and four sororities, and/or members of the outlandishly named College Club, of dubious purpose, which was open to all students who had completed one year of study. But alternative groups remained, such as the Campus Club (another moniker of uncertain creativity), English Club, Classical Club and the “Math” Club, whose quirky quotation marks remained part of Swarthmore s...

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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) ? The U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe said Tuesday that opposition to President Robert Mugabe has reached a tipping point because the people no longer fear the regime and believe they have nothing left to lose.

Zimbabwe's government and party are in disarray and can no longer govern effectively, U.S. Ambassador Christopher Dell said in an interview with The Associated Press. Growing numbers within the regime and the party also want Mugabe to step down, he said.

Dell stressed he was not advocating or predicting any violent overthrow of the government, but noted there was disaffection within the military and a split in security forces. The economy is in freefall and the people believe the government is taking away their last hope, he said.

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MIAMI (AP) -- They call this a World Golf Championship. It looks more like freshman orientation. No one waits until finishing a round to shake hands. Whether on the putting green, the practice range or in the locker room, introductions are in order - a lot of them. Players spend most of their time looking at names on badges and golf bags to figure out who these guys are and how they got a spot in the CA Championship.

The 73-man field at Doral comes from 17 countries, not unlike a regular PGA Tour event. But most PGA Tour events don't always get Prom Meesawat.

This is nothing new at a World Golf Championship. It's been going on since the series began in 1999, when this tournament was held at Valderrama in Spain and featured Richard Kaplan and Kzuhiko Hosokawa.

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Today is Wednesday, March 21, the 80th day of 2007. There are 285 days left in the year.

Todays Highlight in History:

On March 21, 1685, composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany.

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SEMINOLE Bette Smith loves to talk about plants and flowers.

A prolific gardener and accomplished journalist, she shared her green thumb skills in a column The Neighborly Garden for The St. Petersburg Times from 1984 to 1996. She also contributed to the Florida Gardening Magazine and as early as the 1970s wrote the Waterfront Line column for the Seminole Courier.

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DORAL — The field may be better at Doral this year, but what about the feel?

It's a question of the heart, not the mind. The Blue Monster course is a South Florida classic.

Likewise, the tournament that Billy Casper first won here in 1962 was never defined by its numerous title sponsors, but by a list of monstrous multiple champions that runs through Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman and Raymond Floyd and winds up, eventually, like all others, with Tiger Woods.

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Jamming out to Bollywood music is a Dallas night-life experience that shouldn't be missed.

People gleefully shout the lyrics. Dance moves crop up that aren't usually seen at, say, megaclub Purgatory. (Anyone up for squatting across the floor like a frog?)

Bollywood, danceable songs from epic Indian musicals, just inspires fun. So does bhangra, an ancient Punjabi style of music that's been modernized with disco and hip-hop beats. Jason Janik / Special to DMN Jessamyn Harris dances during a recent Bollywood party at Clay Pit in Addison.

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"Up there," the seemingly ancient Ugandan boatman pointed a gnarly finger toward a dense vine-covered ridge rising a hundred feet or so into the jungle above the hippo-and-crocodile-filled Nile River.

"That's where Hemingway crashed his plane while on safari. And tomorrow, when you leave, you'll take off from the airstrip where he crashed the second time a few days later."

The boatman, whose name I never learned, then grinned mysteriously, his white teeth flashing and head bobbing up and down in amusement, almost as if he had just told some long-hoarded secret.

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Believe it or not, UC Davis forward Thomas Juillerat is an introvert. He has the documentation from the Myers Briggs Personality Test to prove it.But watch him work the floor at The Pavilion during the third-to-last practice of the season:During a drill with the other post players, he needles big man Michael Boone and dares freshman Dominic Calegari to try and go around him. During the scrimmage at the end of the session, he jaws with sharpshooter Kyle Brucculeri as they run the floor. And durin...

To be honest, things generally usually aren’t what they seem when Juillerat is involved.He is 6-foot-5 and has built himself into a legitimate Division I post player. He surpassed 1,000 career points during last week’s loss to UC Irvine. Unlike the previous 13 players on that list, he has had to do it against top-level talent. That’s a testament to his toughness.Then there’s his leadership. He’s been the team’s most consistent player on the court, averaging 12...

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DORAL – There was a South African tag team going on Tuesday at the Blue Monster's driving range.

Ernie Els was already hitting when Trevor Immelman came on and took the spot next to Els.

LocalLinks

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Monday marked the four years since America's march into Iraq.

I can remember where I was when we started the air campaign. I was in my AP History class in high school, trying not to vomit because I was effectively watching people be killed in real time and havoc being wreaked across an entire country.

But everyone probably remembers where they were, or how they felt, and I think everyone is getting too bogged down in sentiment and emotion to be rational about it anymore.

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Today is Wednesday, March 21, the 80th day of 2007. There are 285 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On March 21, 1685, composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany.

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When Albin and Melanie Ulle are asked about their favorite places in ?1,000 Places to See Before You Die,? they talk less about the destinations than the people they met:

 ? The maitre d? in France who proudly wore an American flag on his lapel.

 ? The Bhutan citizens who measure ?gross national happiness? rather than the gross national product.

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In 1685, composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany.In 1907, U.S. Marines arrived in Honduras to protect American lives and interests in the wake of political violence.In 1960, some 70 people were killed in Sharpeville, South Africa, when police fired on demonstrators.In 1965, more than 3,000 civil rights demonstrators led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. began their march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala.In 1985, police in Langa, South Africa, opened fire on blacks marching to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sharpeville shootings, killing at least 21.

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When Ernest Gallo died this month at 97, he left the glass of his life more than half full. The glasses, bottle and jugs of our national table and picnic cooler were running over.

As the business and sales half of the two brothers who started the giant wine company, Ernest drove himself as hard as he did his employees, suppliers and a stodgy industry.

Julio made wine throughout the California's central valley and beyond, and Ernest sold it. The Gallos' wine was purchased under dozens of brands, in bottles of all sizes and prices, and flavors that went with bubble gum, sausage pizzas and steak.

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UNITED NATIONS - Indonesia, Qatar and South Africa have proposed amendments to a new U.N. resolution drafted by six world powers that would impose new sanctions on Iran for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.

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You can say what you want about Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, but one thing is for certain - he is a world player. Single handedly he has made his country a major influence in South America. Prime ministers and presidents kiss his hand and ask for his advice on international issues. The more the Bush administration throws at him, the bigger he becomes. Any major policy that goes on in the Caribbean and South America comes across his desk for opinion.

How did he do it? By simply leveraging his natural resources such as cash and oil. You even see public relations ploys on television touting his generous discounts of home heating oil to residents in northeastern United States. Citgo, owned by Venezuela, is a major player not just in South America but right here in the United States. It is as if no one can stop this new major player named Hugo Chavez. As President Bush is making a tour of South America he is countering with an anti-Bush tour wit...

One of the most impressive things President Chavez has done is wean South American nations from the influence of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He views the IMF as an agent in the service of the US. He has persuaded South American nations to pay off their debts to the IMF and use Venezuela as the preferred friendly lender. IMF lending in the region has fallen to $50 million, or less than 1 percent of its global portfolio, compared with 80 percent in 2005. Meanwhile, Chavez has used his o...

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TAMPA - Derrick Brooks knows what you're thinking.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker's name attached to a local high school, it should have a great football team, right? Wrong.

In fact, in its first couple of years of existence, the Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School has no plans for competitive sports teams.

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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Bob Woolmer lived for his work, spreading his cricket philosophies to some of the sport's most far-flung outposts.

As coach of the Pakistan team, and one of the most respected coaches in the world, he had anything but a low-profle, laid-back job.

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Slowly I made my way to the ancient pyramid, pushing through elbow-high brush and mud in spots up to my ankles.

I've often made such treks on my many visits to Mexico's more remote archaeological sites. But this was different. On this visit to Calakmul, a Mayan site in a remote area of the Mexican state of Campeche, I had my granddaughter Miranda, then 4 years old, right behind me.

Calmly, she pushed the branches aside while avoiding the puddles - without a single complaint. What a trooper!

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Plenty of hotels are ready to conspire with Valentine Day lovers to make their weekend tryst a memorable one. They'll ply them with aphrodisiac nibbles, pamper them with sensuous spa treatments, tempt them with bedside champagne and chocolates, love potions and other indulgences they don't enjoy at home.

Maybe that's what prompted Britney Spears to get married earlier this month during a romantic weekend getaway with friend Jason Alexander in Las Vegas.

No need to follow the pop star down the aisle, though - nor have to file for annulment the same day, as she did. Just put your regular-day cares aside on Feb. 14 and spring for a loving weekend. After all, what better time of year is there to give in to love than on a day long devoted to love?

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On Friday, talk show mogul and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey opened her second leadership academy in South Africa.

The Oprah Leadership Academy for Girls provides the necessary vehicle for select South African girls to receive a first-class education and to go on to college.

"All of my adult life I have been searching for a way to give back what I've been given," Oprah said. "The greatest gift I know you can give is the gift of learning education was my path to possibility."

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Russian swimmer Larisa Ilchenko picked up her second open water gold medal of the world championships Tuesday, ignoring the pain of jellyfish stings to edge British newcomer Cassandra Patten in the 10-kilometer race off St. Kilda Beach.

Ilchenko and Patten were swimming stroke-for-stroke as they rounded the last buoy, but the Russian nudged ahead in the final 100 meters. She finished with a time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 57.9 seconds.

Patten was about a body length behind, crossing in 2:03:58.9. Australia's Kate Brookes-Peterson was right in the mix, as well, taking the bronze in 2:03:59.5.

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PASADENA, Calif. --When Albin and Melanie Ulle are asked about their favorite places in "1,000 Places To See Before You Die," they talk less about the destinations than the people they met:

- The maitre d' in France who proudly wore an American flag on his lapel.

- The Bhutan citizens who measure "gross national happiness" rather than the gross national product.

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Oprah Winfrey has denied allegations her newly founded school in South Africa is too strict -- insisting instead that it provides students with a ''safe'' and ''structured'' environment in which to learn, reports IMDB.com.

The media mogul set up the $40 million Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa in January in the small town of Henley-on-Klip, south of Johannesburg, with the aim to give 152 girls from deprived backgrounds a high quality education. But parents have recently complained of the rigid rules and regulations that prevent the girls from using cellphones and sending e-mails during the week.

Parents have also been banned from bringing food in for the girls and can visit only if they are approved by staff at least two weeks in advance.

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Like a skip on a CD, it can interrupt the flow of the most pleasant conversation.

You may find yourself engaged and captivated by the banter between you and a friend when suddenly he lets slip a stinging stereotype or disheartening discriminatory remark.

How many times have you pretended you didn't hear it? How many times have you cringed and paused and thought, "I should tell him that comment was wrong?"

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The Petland store in Laredo is one of 130 domestic retail locations in the Petland chain observing the company?s milestone 40th anniversary this year.With a focus on customer service, animal care and store presentation, Petland defines leadership in the pet store retail industry. And with age, comes wisdom.

?Over the course of 40 years, Petland has perfected its ability to offer its customers the best pets and the best pet supplies? said Francisco Martinez, operator, of the Petland store at 7901-B San Dario Ave., in Laredo. ?We are proud to be a part of the celebration ? 40 years of making life better with Petland pets.? Petland, Inc. began with one man, Ed Kunzelman, who took his fish-keeping hobby to the next level by opening a single pet store on October 21, 1967, in southern Ohio. Forty years l...

?Our trained pet counselors stand by Petland?s Mission of ?matching the right pet with the right person and meeting the needs of both,?? said Martinez. ?We have built upon Petland?s many years of experience by enhancing our customer?s knowledge and enjoyment of the human-animal bond here in Laredo.?

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A tableau of 17 fluttering flags fans out behind Doral's practice green, signifying each nation with a competitor who qualified for this week's WGC-CA Championship.

It's precisely what one would expect from the World Golf Championships series, with 47 international players among the 74 entrants. Among the flags are such atypical golf outposts Denmark, Fiji and India.

Increasingly, though, it doesn't take a major championship or WGC event to find such a melting pot on the PGA Tour.

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SIMCHAS: Weddings and Engagements- March 2, 2007 Edition

Slovin-Weber

Clive and Sandy Slovin of Atlanta announce the engagement of their daughter, Talya, and Adam Weber, son of Jeff and Linda Weber of Rockville, Md.

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PASADENA, Calif. - When Albin and Melanie Ulle are asked about their favorite places in "1,000 Places To See Before You Die," they talk less about the destinations than the people they met:The maitre d' in France who proudly wore an American flag on his lapel.

The Bhutan citizens who measure "gross national happiness" rather than the gross national product.

And a poor black South African woman who single-handedly put four girls through private school during apartheid and later ran for mayor of her township.

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Partners: Jobs: CareerBuilder.com | Cars: Cars.com | Apartments: Apartments.com | Shopping: ShopLocal.com

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CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - A new wave of insolvencies will hit markets over the next few months - with more parties willing to profit from the pie than five years ago, when a cycle change sent dozens of companies into bankruptcy.

More than 400 restructuring lawyers, accountants and bankers will debate in Cape Town, South Africa, over the next two days when the downturn is expected and who is going to profit most from it.

``People are definitely getting ready,'' said James Moylan, a managing director at Barclays Capital in charge of distressed debt. ``We've seen pressure in the U.S. housing market. I suppose the market could turn quickly but default rates remain at all-time lows.''

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BERLIN (AP) ? The United States objected to key parts of a discussion on climate change at a meeting between G-8 environmental officials and representatives from five influential developing nations, Germany?s environment minister said.

The conference ended with consensus on several points, including a general acceptance of the scientific explanation for the causes of global warming and that industrialized nations need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions more than mandated by current agreements, said German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who hosted the meeting Saturday.

Officials also agreed that industrialized countries have been responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions in the past and for the need to help developing countries control their emissions today, Gabriel said.

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Birthdays: Former White House national security adviser Brent Scowcroft (82), actor-director Patrick McGoohan (79), theologian Hans Kung (79), jazz musician Ornette Coleman (77), author Philip Roth (74), actress Renee Taylor (74), actress-singer Phyllis Newman (74), actress Ursula Andress (71), singer Clarence "Frogman" Henry (70), singer Ruth Pointer of the Pointer Sisters (61), actress Glenn Close (60), film producer Harvey Weinstein (55), actor Bruce Willis (52), rock musician Gert Bettens of...

LOS ANGELES -- Spartans continued to fend off the box-office competition as the battle epic "300" took the No. 1 spot for the second-straight weekend with $31.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Warner Bros. movie, the story of vastly outnumbered Spartans defending against Persian invaders, shot past the $100 million mark after just a week in theaters, bringing its total to $127.5 million.

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The verdict on four years of fighting in Iraq hinges on the events of the next few months.

With the U.S. public and many politicians intensely skeptical that a changed military strategy can salvage the war, the U.S.'s new commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, must win them all over -- and fast.

Petraeus takes over on the heels of the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, the departures from Iraq of Gens. John Abizaid and George Casey and the electoral gains of anti-war Democrats.

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EAST LANSING A cross-cultural exhibit of college student photographs from Michigan, North Carolina, and two different regions in South Africa, opens in Kresge Art Center on the Michigan State University campus March 16.

With 25 photographs from each university, the 100 images will present a diversity of landscapes, people, and cultural icons seen from the students' perspectives, and give viewers insights into four different parts of the world.

The exhibit coincides with a week-long visit to the MSU campus by South African artist/scholars Prof. Glenn Meyer of Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, and Prof. Waldemar Bussiahn of Tshwane University in Pretoria.

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SHAYAMOYA, South Africa Oprah Winfrey opened her second school for poor South African youth Friday, an innovative, environmentally friendly institution she hopes will be a model for public education.The Seven Fountains Primary School was funded by Oprah's Angel Network, a public charity that supports organizations and projects focused on education and literacy.

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HARARE, Zimbabwe - Government opponents said Monday that the government forced the family of an opposition militant shot dead by police to bury him at their rural home to avoid demonstrations at a planned ceremony in the capital.

The government insisted, however, that Gift Tandare - killed as police disbanded a prayer meeting organized by Zimbabwe's political opposition - was buried in the countryside at the family's request and that the state assisted with the funeral arrangements and expenses.

Opposition spokesman Eliphas Mokunoweshure called the government explanation "nonsense."

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Things onboard ship this past week have been quite normal, or as normal as you can get living on a ship sailing around the world at 20 mph.

These past few days have been filled with the usual classes, exams and papers, all intertwined between a blur of meals and naps.

However, for the first time on our voyage, we've been sailing on some pretty rocky seas.

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HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and others arrested for defying a government ban on rallies will be prevented from leaving the country until they appear in court, a police spokesman said on Monday.

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Tsvangirai and dozens of opposition and civic group leaders were arrested last week when they tried to attend a rally. The MDC chief and many others said they were savagely beaten in police custody.

Tsvangirai, who left a hospital in Harare on Friday, and his colleagues face charges of public violence and convening an illegal rally. A court hearing last week was canceled and a new date has not been set.

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JOHANNESBURG, March 17 -- Three Zimbabwean opposition activists were arrested as they tried to leave the country Saturday, including two who were allegedly beaten by police and were heading to South Africa to seek medical treatment, a party official said.

The African Union, meanwhile, called on Zimbabwe to respect its citizens' human rights.

Arthur Mutambara, head of a faction of the Zimbabwean opposition group Movement for Democratic Change, was arrested at Harare International Airport as he was trying to leave for South Africa, said Roy Bennett, the movement's exiled treasurer general.

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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - The spokesman for Zimbabwe's main opposition leader was assaulted by security forces as he tried to leave the country Sunday, an opposition official said, accusing the government of continuing to target dissident activists.

President Robert Mugabe's government is under increasing international criticism for its treatment of the country's opposition. Activists say the government has been disrupting their gatherings and beating and detaining their leaders.

Three opposition activists allegedly assaulted when police broke up a March 11 protest meeting were re-arrested at Harare International Airport Saturday.

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