Chinese police have begun questioning writers, artists and intellectuals who dared to sign a new charter demanding political reforms. It is a move that sets the mood for the year in which the Communist Party will mark the 60th anniversary of its rule.
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Fighting intensified on the northern outskirts of Gaza City yesterday as a Hamas leader warned that the Islamists would kill Jewish children anywhere in the world in revenge for Israel’s devastating assault.
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Blog: finally, news
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Blog: finally, news
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More than 130,000 people are expected to travel to Las Vegas for the giant Consumer Electronics Show.
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The conflict between Israel and Hamas can be resolved, ex-UK prime minister and current Middle East envoy Tony Blair insists.
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The conflict between Israel and Hamas can be resolved, ex-UK prime minister and current Middle East envoy Tony Blair insists.
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Several European countries report major disruption to their gas supplies from Russia following Moscow's row with Ukraine.
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Several European countries report major disruption to their gas supplies from Russia following Moscow's row with Ukraine.
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LONDON (Reuters) - Oil held near $49 a barrel on Tuesday as Israel's deepening incursion into Gaza and a dispute between Russia and Ukraine over natural gas heightened concern about supply disruptions.
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TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp is to halt production at its Japanese plants for 11 days in February and March as a sharp slide in U.S. sales has left dealers' lots full of unsold cars.
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Reuters - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) is to halt production at its Japanese plants for 11 days in February and March as a sharp slide in U.S. sales has left dealers' lots full of unsold cars.

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Reuters - The head of children's services at Haringey Council has launched an appeal against her dismissal over the Baby P case, the local authority said on Tuesday.
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Reuters - The head of children's services at Haringey Council has launched an appeal against her dismissal over the Baby P case, the local authority said on Tuesday.
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Israeli forces reportedly widen their ground assault in the Gaza Strip to include Khan Younis in the south, after fierce clashes around Gaza City.
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AP - President-elect Barack Obama's selection of an old White House hand to head the CIA shows a preference for a strong manager over an intelligence expert.

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AP - The morning after the Nov. 4 election, Norm Coleman stood before TV cameras, declared victory in Minnesota's U.S. Senate election and said that if he were opponent Al Franken he'd "step aside."

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GAZA (Reuters) - Israel moved forces into a southern Gaza town on Tuesday and demanded Hamas be prevented from rearming as a main condition for a ceasefire in an 11-day-old conflict in which hundreds of Palestinians have been killed.
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AP - President-elect Barack Obama's proposed stimulus package would provide businesses with billions of dollars in refunds on taxes they paid several years ago.

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SOFIA/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian gas supplies via Ukraine to south-eastern Europe and Turkey were halted on Tuesday and Austria and the Czech Republic reported sharp falls in supplies in a deepening row between Moscow and Kiev.
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SYDNEY (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic's preparations for the defense of his Australian Open title suffered an unexpected setback Tuesday when the Serb was knocked out of the Brisbane International in the first round.
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US President-elect Barack Obama has picked former Clinton chief of staff Leon Panetta to head the CIA, Democratic officials say.
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AP - Health care continued to take up a greater share of the economy in 2007, as spending on hospitals, doctors and other services increased 6.1 percent to $2.2 trillion.
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AP - The Democratic-dominated Congress convenes Tuesday to confront perhaps the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and to grapple with a hugely ambitious agenda set by President-elect Barack Obama.

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An Indonesian deputy is jailed for taking bribes, in a symbol of the country's new determination to tackle corruption.
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