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WASHINGTON, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez has had sway over Latin America’s smaller economies but could now eclipse the United States’ influence over the third-largest economy, Argentina, two top former U.S. diplomats said on Tuesday.
Chavez, a self-styled socialist revolutionary, has wooed Bolivia, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Peru, but ties to Argentina [...]

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Thus it may be more than a coincidence that a moderate Muslim from Thailand could be emerging as a dark horse candidate with tacit support from the United States — perhaps as a hedge in case a nasty surprise upends Ban Ki Moon’s candidacy. He is former Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan, [...]

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The UK underestimates the threat to its future security posed by Russia, shadow defence secretary Liam Fox has warned.
Dr Fox claimed Russia was increasing its defence spending this year by 25%.

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Steyn argues forcefully that much of the Western world as we know it will not survive the twenty-first century, and much of it will effectively disappear within our lifetimes - including many if not most European countries. He shows how this process is already well advanced, and explains that whether we like the New Order [...]

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South Korea’s foreign minister is quite likely to be answering to a new title soon - United Nations secretary-general. Seoul’s chief diplomat has cleared what is widely viewed as the last major hurdle to winning the post. Reaction in South Korea and beyond is positive.
South Koreans are enthusiastic about the prospect that [...]

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The United States’ top intelligence official says that although the Islamic-based terrorist movement is growing, counter-terrorism efforts have kept the threat in check. Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte says the recently revealed National Intelligence Estimate has been misunderstood. VOA correspondent Gary Thomas talked with the intelligence chief and has this [...]

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Firstly, the field of scientific research of the DPRK will in the future conduct a nuclear test under the condition where safety is firmly guaranteed.
The DPRK was compelled to pull out of the NPT as the present US administration scrapped the DPRK-US Agreed Framework and seriously threatened the DPRK’s sovereignty and right [...]

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“The Jihad, the Islamic so-called Holy War, has been a fact of life in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East for more than 1300 years, but this is the first history of the Muslim wars in Europe ever to be published. Hundreds of books, however, have appeared on its [...]

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Russia also operated indirectly in favour of Hezbollah through the many anti-tank rockets it sent to Syria and transferred to Hezbollah. Moreover, Russia not only got out arms sales but also first-hand intelligence data collected by the listening posts it manages with the Syrians.
If Syrian-Russian intelligence cooperation goes back a few years, [...]

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MANAGUA, Nicaragua - Venezuela’s defense minister said Monday his country’s military buildup isn’t a threat to the region as he joined Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and counterparts from across the Americas in discussing possible joint humanitarian missions.

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MOSCOW - Russia warned the United States on Tuesday against basing elements of a planned missile defense system in Poland, saying this would undermine strategic stability and require a ‘corresponding’ response from Moscow, Interfax news agency said.

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Japan accuses China of using the history card as a bargaining-chip in bilateral relations, and more importantly, for China’s domestic consumption. The Japanese believe that they have apologized enough for their wrongdoings in the past and compensated China with large economic assistance and technological contributions. Japan holds that the Chinese Communist Party [...]

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The problem is, that’s not really the case. Far from being a pariah, Venezuela is increasingly in step with the world. Thanks to deep wells of anti-Americanism and Chávez’s dogged diplomacy among the developing world, he’s managed to build a large, loose coalition of states aligned not just against the United States, [...]

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Relations between Beijing and Washington have become increasingly strained. China is strengthening its ties with Iran, Syria, Venezuela and North Korea - the Bush administration’s arch-enemies. As the US economy falls into recession in 2007 and economic growth slows in China, relations between Beijing and Washington could completely unravel - which poses [...]

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EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - European firms such as AugustaWestland and Eurocopter are supplying components for Chinese combat helicopters via networks of global subsidiaries and re-exporters despite the EU’s 17-year old China arms embargo, NGOs have warned.

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