Chavez criticizes Colombia over weapons claims

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday blasted accusations that his government supplied Colombian guerrillas with shoulder-fired anti-tank weapons and accused the neighboring country of blackmail. The remarks follow a freezing of diplomatic relations between the countries over the weapons issue and over negotiations that could lead to American military bases in Colombia.

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Al Qaeda priority: Western targets

Between late July and early December of 2008 four members of a Belgian-French group returned to Europe from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region. On December 11, Belgian counter-terrorism police launched one of the largest operations in the country’s history, arrested six people and charged them with participation in a terrorist group.

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Turkey’s NATO commander, soldier killed in Afghan accident

The commander of Turkey’s NATO force in Afghanistan and another soldier were killed this week in a road accident in northern Afghanistan, the Turkish military said Thursday. Beckham has been criticized in the United States for going out on loan to AC Milan, missing the start of the MLS season, but on the eve of his return to action with Galaxy took the opportunity to put the record straight. “I was given chance to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world (AC Milan) and still be contracted to my club,” he said.

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Michael Jackson’s Missing Music: More to Come?

Call it irony, call it the silver lining of a tragic death — Michael Jackson’s passing has put the King of Pop back on top of the music charts. His hits have suddenly become the nostalgic sound track of summer 2009. And Jackson’s reign could continue for years with fresh material that has never been released and artistic reworkings of existing classic tracks, according to Tommy Mottola, former CEO and chairman of Sony, the company that owns the distribution rights to much of Jackson’s music

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Medvedev: Former oil magnate must admit guilt

Any attempt to pardon Mikhail Khodorkovsky — once Russia’s richest man, now its most famous inmate — must follow standard procedure, including an admission of guilt, the nation’s president said Sunday. “Concerning the possibility of a pardon for someone, Khodorkovsky or anyone else, the procedure has to be carried out in accordance with our country’s rules,” President Dmitry Medvedev said in a transcript on his Web site

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24 hurt in Hong Kong’s third acid attack in 6 months

Authorities in Hong Kong were reviewing surveillance tapes Tuesday to determine who tossed a bottle of acid from the top of a building, injuring 24 pedestrians in a busy shopping district.

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Clues emerge in search for plane wreckage

The search for the wreckage of an Air France plane that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean with 228 on board intensified Thursday after clues appeared to rule out a mid-air fire or explosion. As several ships trawled the crash site in the Atlantic, Brazil’s defense minister said a 20-kilometer (12-mile) oil slick near where the plane went down on Monday indicated it probably did not break up until it hit the water.

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Report: Iran could have enough material for nuke in months

A U.S. Senate report released Thursday says some experts predict Iran could have enough material for a nuclear bomb in six months. The staff report of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee says efforts so far to stop Iran’s nuclear program have failed and that the real status of Iran’s nuclear program is unknown.

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