OK, what’s the capital of Comoros, and how many coup attempts has it suffered since gaining independence in 1975? What’s the life expectancy in Burkina Faso, and how many kilometres of roads does it have, both paved and unpaved? What’s the highest point in Hungary, and when does the country next hold elections? If you [...]

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At the center of both issues is Germany’s newly assertive nationalism that first found widespread public expression during the summer 2006 World Cup. Divisions over Afghanistan and NATO enlargement reflect an organization fundamentally divided between Old Europe led by Germany and New Europe led by the United States.
Standing behind Germany is Russia in a [...]

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In this contest is the danger that Lebanon may turn into a full-fledged battleground in the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran, which is allied with Syria to derail Lebanon’s fragile democracy.
The possibility of bloodshed within Lebanon’s sensitive patchwork of Sunnis, Shiites and Christians recalls the civil war that savaged Beirut from 1975 [...]

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US weapons analyst Gregg Bergersen admits leak to China
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 3 hours ago
Prosecutors alleged he divulged military secrets to New Orleans businessman Kuo Tai, who turned over the information to a Chinese foreign agent. …
Pentagon staffer guilty of handing secrets to China agent AFP
Guilty Plea in China Spy Case The Associated Press
Pentagon analyst admits selling [...]

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Tokyo has shown keen interest in the disclosure as it suggests Pyongyang was providing nuclear technology to Damascus in violation of an agreement made at six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue not to transfer nuclear materials, technology or know-how.
According to the sources, Olmert told Fukuda that the site was a nuclear-related facility that [...]

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From the article, the annualized probability of a Cuban Missile Type Crisis (CMTC) resulting in World War III during the 50 years of the Cold War =
Low Estimate: 2 in 10,000 = .02% = .0002 = [3/50][1/3][.1][.1]
High Estimate: 5 in 1,000 = .5% = .005 = [3/50][1/3][.5][.5]
[annualized probability that an initiating event (such as the [...]

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The value of the Chinese yuan, or RMB, has been a sore spot in U.S.-China relations in recent years. Faced with a massive $256.3 billion trade deficit with China for 2007 that has increased over three times since 2000 ($83.8 billion) and continues to increase annually, Washington has called on Beijing to revalue its currency [...]

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In an article published in Taiwan-based newspaper China Times, a staff news reporter in Shanghai asked the views of China’s Generation Y—those born between 1981 and 1995—in China’s bustling metropolis, following Taiwan’s presidential election on March 22, about their views toward Taiwan and Tibet. The interviews revealed some dramatic changes in perceptions held by the [...]

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Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, more than 90 per cent of China’s imports of major conventional weapons have been supplied by the Russian Federation. In this period China has become one of Russia’s most valued customers, accounting for 39% of Russian exports of major conventional weapons. However, the SIPRI online Arms Transfers Database, [...]

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Right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders wanted to provoke an international scandal with his anti-Islam film “Fitna.” He succeeded. He talks to SPIEGEL about his crusade against Islam. more…

Photo Gallery: Muslims Protest against Wilders’ Film
‘Fitna’ Review: Not Hyperbole or Metaphor, but Repetition
Dutch Anti-Koran Video Released: Wilders Sparks Political Protest
Islam Critic Wilders: A Missionary with Dark Visions
SPIEGEL [...]

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