Red River levels dropping barely; Residents remain on alert

While the Red River level appeared to be dropping early Sunday, Fargo, North Dakota, officials said they were still holding their collective breath. “In past flooding, you have to understand, we’ve had times in which people thought it crested and then it came back and went up,” Fargo Deputy Mayor Tim Mahoney said. “And our temperature is changing, so we will be reluctant to announce a crest until we truly feel there’s been a crest.” City Manager Pat Sawyerville added, “We cannot think that we’ve passed some milestone here.” Above-freezing temperatures, followed by heavy rains this week, caused the Red River and its tributaries to swell, sending Fargo into emergency preparation mode

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‘Italian Fritzl’ and son held in incest case

Police in Italy say they have arrested a grandfather and his son for allegedly sexually abusing the elder man’s daughter for more than a 25 years, in a case likened to Austria’s Josef Fritzl. The 41-year-old son, identified by police only by the pseudonym Giovanni, was arrested February 16; his 64-year-old father was arrested March 16, Turin Police Inspector Iolanda Seri told CNN Saturday. Both men were imprisoned, and were charged with sexual abuse of their daughter and sister, who is now 34 and has been identified by the pseudonym Laura.

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India Vindicated by Pakistan Charge

It should come as no surprise that India is feeling vindicated: The United States has finally come around to endorsing India’s view of the nefarious regional role of Pakistan’s intelligence service. Reports in recent days that the CIA has confronted Pakistan with evidence that its spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence , had a hand in last month’s suicide terrorist attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul echo India’s long-held conviction that Pakistan is backing terrorism in the region. Five days after the July 7 bombing that killed nearly 60 people, Indian National Security Adviser M.K

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Thousands of protesters surround Thai govt. headquarters

About 20,000 anti-government demonstrators surrounded the Thai government headquarters Thursday evening and set up camp in a bid to oust the prime minister, police said. The number of protesters outside Government House had grown sharply since the afternoon, said Worapong Tuepreecha, the chief of the Metropolitan Police. He said they set up a stage and tents in front of the building.

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Obama defends budget as essential to recovery

President Obama said Tuesday "there are no quick fixes" to pull the economy out of recession, but he insisted the country will recover. In his second prime time news conference, Obama called on Americans to look to the future with a “renewed confidence that a better day will come.” “We will recover from this recession,” the president said.

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Blogger jailed in Iran is dead, lawyer says

A young blogger arrested in Iran for allegedly insulting supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Internet posting has died in prison, his attorney said Friday. Attorney Mohammad Ali Dadkhah said Omid Mir Sayafi, reported to be in his 20s, died in Evin prison, which is located in Tehran and known for its wing that holds political prisoners. Dadkhah said a fellow inmate, Dr

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