Global News Post: Video

At Least 44 Dead in Bangladesh Clashes

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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">At least 44
people have been killed in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:country-region></st1:place>
in a wave of violence sparked by a special tribunal's decision to sentence a
top Islamist opposition leader to death.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Reports Friday
said the latest deaths took place in Gainbandha district, after two days of
clashes between protesters and police. The protests were expected to continue
after Friday prayers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Many of the
victims were shot Thursday in clashes between security forces and supporters of
Delwar Hossain Sayedee. He was found guilty of crimes, including mass killings
and rape, committed during the 1971 war against <st1:country-region w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region>
for <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
independence.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Thursday's
violence occurred during a nationwide shutdown called by Sayedee's party,
Jamaat-e-Islami, to protest his trial and demand he be freed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A VOA reporter
in <st1:place w:st="on">Dhaka</st1:place>, Zahurul Alam, said two police
officers were among the dead, and more than 200 people were wounded. He said
Jamaat-e-Islami has called for another nationwide shutdown starting early
Sunday.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Jamaat has
again called a 48-hour-long continuous countrywide shutdown from Sunday morning
in protest of the verdict against Sayedee and the killing of his supporters by
BGB and police," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Sayedee's lawyer
has called the verdict unjust and vowed to appeal. Sayedee is the third Jamaat
party member to be sentenced for war crimes since <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s war crimes tribunal
was established in 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">On January 21,
the tribunal sentenced Abul Kalam Azad to death in absentia, finding him guilty
of torture, rape and genocide. On February 5, it sentenced Abdul Quader Mollah
to life in prison on similar charges. At least eight more Jamaat members are
still on trial.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Human rights
groups have questioned the fairness of the trials, saying members of the
defense have been unduly pressured.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Bangladesh</span></span></st1:country-region><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> fought a nine-month war against <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region> in 1971 to obtain its
independence. The government says 3 million people died in the violence,
although other estimates give a lower death toll.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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At Least 44 Dead in Bangladesh Clashes

By VOA News At least 44 people have been killed in Bangladesh in a wave of violence sparked by a special tribunal's decision...

Are Violent Games Linked to Violent Crimes?

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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">As video game images become increasingly
more realistic and graphic, policy makers are debating if there is a link
between the violence depicted in those games and violence in real life.   <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A 20-year-old gunman's shooting spree at a
school in the northeastern <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
  States</st1:place></st1:country-region> this month has reinvigorated
discussions about violence, prompting lawmakers to call for greater examination
of brutality in video games.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But evidence does not suggest violence in
games causes violence in life, says Virginia Tech's James Ivory, a professor in
the university's department of communication who researches the effects of
video games.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The agreement is pretty well universal
among social scientists that there is not a clearly established link between
actual violent crime and violent media usage," says Ivory.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He adds that it is possible, though debated,
that exposure to violent video games could make a person think or respond more
aggressively in the short term, or, in Ivory's words, "might even make you
potentially more of a jerk to somebody." 
But, he emphasizes, temporary aggression and violent crime are worlds
apart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Graphic games are popular.  Eight of the 20 best-selling video games in
2011 contained intense violence, language or sexual content deemed suitable
only for players 17 and older.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Criminal defense attorney Rene Sandler says
she has represented clients who played violent shooter games, gaining points
with each kill.   <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">    <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Violent video games are an enormous
problem in this country, and violent video games have been at the core of
violent behaviors after watching these video games or cumulatively playing
games," Sandler says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Video games differ from movies or other
media because game players are active participants, not passive viewers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"People have argued that violent video
games should influence you more because you're taking on the role of someone
violent," explains Ivory. 
"Conceptually that all makes sense, but empirically, there's not a
lot of evidence for stronger effects of games than television."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Players don't confuse games with reality, a
high school student and gamer told VOA.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"I'm not saying it's right, but it's
just virtual people," he said. 
"It's not real people.  It
doesn't have any intentions of killing anyone in the real world."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle
Association, disagrees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"There exists in this country, sadly, a
callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells and sows violence
against its own people, through vicious, violent video games," LaPierre
told reporters this month.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He named the popular game 'Grand Theft Auto'
as an example.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">One of the creators of 'Grand Theft Auto,'
Navid Khonsari, says he grew up playing video games in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region>
and the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
where video games were enjoyed by people of all ages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The discerning factor among the countries,
says Khonsari, "is that while video games have been readily available,
what has been limited is the accessibility to weapons."  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The focus on virtual violence might be
limiting substantive discussions about firearm regulations and mental health
treatment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"When we talk about violent video games
and actual violent crime, we're chasing something that hasn't really been
observed and we're not talking about other things that have been
observed," says Ivory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Despite the renewed focus on video game
violence, investigators of the most recent <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> school shooting have not said
whether the young gunman was a player of violent video games.    <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Interest in video games continues to grow
around the globe.  Analysts estimate
people spent about $70 billion worldwide on video games and components in
2012.  North America, Western Europe and
East Asia remain key markets, while gaming is on the rise in <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Brazil</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Russia</st1:country-region> and <st1:place w:st="on">Southeast
 Asia</st1:place>. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Are Violent Games Linked to Violent Crimes?

By Suzanne Presto As video game images become increasingly more realistic and graphic, policy makers are debating if there i...

Morsi Urges Egyptian Opposition to Engage After Constitution Enacted

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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By Edward Yeranian<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In an address on national TV Wednesday,
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi congratulated Egyptians for voting to approve
a new constitution and urged them to unite and work toward a better future. The
address came one day after he signed the controversial new constitution into
law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Morsi says that by approving the
constitution, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region> was
moving from its “<st1:placename w:st="on">First</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Republic</st1:placetype>,” to a new “<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Second</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Republic</st1:placetype></st1:place>.”
Without mentioning the outcry and protests over how the constitution was
passed, Morsi thanked those who participated in what he called a free and fair
referendum.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He said the Egyptian people chose to approve
the constitution by free will and under conditions of transparency, complete
judicial supervision, and protection by the army.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Opposition charges<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Opposition leaders claim that the vote was
tainted by numerous irregularities and fraud. <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s electoral commission,
however, dismissed most of those charges Tuesday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Morsi said he has no “desire to cling to
power” and that legislative authority has now been transferred to the Shoura</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> Council, the upper house of the
Egyptian parliament. Morsi said he has made mistakes, but that his decisions
were “made before God and in the interests of the nation.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The president said <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> is facing
serious economic difficulties and called on his countrymen to “work hard and
increase production.” He repeated a call for national dialogue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Shoura Council met Wednesday to consider
various pieces of legislation after the new constitution gave it legislative
power, pending the election of a new lower house in two months.  Among that legislation is a bill restricting
financial dealings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs
Mohamed Mahsoub told the council that the bill should be approved quickly to
prevent the flight of capital and speculation:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He said urgent legislation is needed to
fight corruption and recover stolen money, along with a law to prevent
speculation and stop those trying to sabotage state companies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Economy falters<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">'s council of ministers met
Wednesday to discuss the economic crisis facing the country. The new
constitution did little to resolve that crisis, say many analysts, but appeared
instead to intensify it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Said Sadek, who teaches political sociology
at the <st1:placename w:st="on">American</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype>
in <st1:city w:st="on">Cairo</st1:city>, said that <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s political opposition
appears to have decided not to mount major protests over the constitution and
will instead wait for the economic crisis to fuel further protests:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“The battle of the constitution is over, but
other battles are coming. A lot of people from the revolution opposition
believe that the government has mishandled the political situation and when
those who voted for this constitution realize that what they got is more
taxation and more economic hardship, you'll have a bigger pool of opposition,”
said Sadek.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A $4.8-billion loan from the International
Monetary Fund was delayed amid <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
ongoing political crisis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ratings agency Standard and Poor's
downgraded the country's long-term credit rating on Monday. Ahram Online
reported that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region></st1:place>
is now preventing travelers from taking more than $10,000 out of the country. ---VOA
News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Morsi Urges Egyptian Opposition to Engage After Constitution Enacted

By Edward Yeranian In an address on national TV Wednesday, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi congratulated Egyptians for votin...

New Documentary Portrays Islam as Path to Women's Empowerment

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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By Carolyn Weaver</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="429" scrolling="no" src="http://www.voanews.com/flashembed.aspx?t=vid&id=1556198&w=640&h=429&skin=embeded" width="640"></iframe>A growing number of women in Islamic countries have turned in recent years to serious study of their religion: memorizing the Quran, learning to recite it properly, and studying hadith and other aspects of Islam. An American-made documentary, The Light in Her Eyes, shows how this religious movement can also foster greater freedom for women in traditional societies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The focus of the film, Syrian preacher Houda al-Habash, established her summer Quran School for girls in 1982, when she was just 17. Until the spring of 2012, she held classes on the women's side of a Damascus mosque, where girls memorized the Quran, practiced reciting it, and studied other Islamic teachings. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She also supervised religious study classes for girls and women in other parts of the city.

American filmmaker Julia Meltzer, who was teaching journalism at the University of Damascus in 2005, happened to meet al-Habash through a colleague who was studying with her.

"From the moment that I walked into her mosque, I thought, you know, we don't get to see places like this, where girls study Quran with other women who have been trained and studied for a long time," said Meltzer, who made the film with co-director Laura Nix.  
They were struck by how al-Habash merged conservative traditions with progressive ideals for women's greater role in the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She believes that Islam requires women to wear hijab, and that wives should serve their husbands. Yet she also thinks women should be highly educated, and pursue careers and public lives, if they choose, even if it means staying up late to finish their housework, too.

"You are free in your choices, free in your way of thinking, free in your faith, free in everything," she tells a graduating class at her school.

"Women can be teachers and students, women can rule and arbitrate," she says. "Does religious law allow a woman to be president? Yes! Don't shut off your brain," she urges the girls.

"It's a story about just one mosque," Nix explains. "We don't claim to be telling a story [about] the entire region. But at least for the girls and women in Houda's mosque, it's a place for them to go, in a way that's comfortable for their parents. And they're also driven to learn more about their religion, and Houda offers an environment that's very organized, very warm and inclusive and inviting."

Although warm, al-Habash also is a demanding teacher, who urges her students to read more, and study harder in their other classes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Islam regards all learning as a form of worship, she says, adding,"Whenever a human being reads, he benefits and his mind grows."

The Light in Her Eyes includes TV clips of ultraconservative male clerics protesting against women's participation in public life. al-Habash responds in the film by saying that her study of Islam has taught her that they are mistaken.

"Muslims themselves have deprived women of everything, even the right to learn, teach and to enter the mosque," she says firmly. "This is ignorance, which has nothing to do with religion."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b> The Light in Her Eyes Trailer</b></span></div>
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"I started memorizing Quran when I was three years old," al-Khaldi tells the filmmakers. "And I finished memorizing Quran when I was 10. For girls, it is very important to learn what is in Quran, because if you don't really know what is the [truth], you are going to be misled."

Meltzer and co-director Laura Nix finished filming in November 2010, soon before the uprising began. They didn't have government permission to film, so they had to shoot discreetly, especially in the street.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"We never felt like we were in danger, but we recognized that at any point, we could be asked to stop shooting," Meltzer said. "The big challenge was for Houda to let us into her life and to let us into the mosque, because the risk was much, much greater for her. If she had been stopped or found out or questioned by the secret police, it could have been very dangerous for her and her family. Or they just might have shut her school down."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Why did al-Habash agree to take that risk?  "Houda's interested in having there be a different vision of Islam in the West," Meltzer says. "And she could tell we wanted to be able to give a different story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Occasionally when we were shooting something, she'd say, 'Oh no, you're not allowed to use that.' But when we included that in the final film, she didn't say anything. At the Dubai premiere, she came with her entire family, and she said she's really proud of the film, and feels it tells a truthful story about her."

The film had its U.S. broadcast premiere on the public television series POV.---VOA News
</span></div>
</div>

New Documentary Portrays Islam as Path to Women's Empowerment

By Carolyn Weaver A growing number of women in Islamic countries have turned in recent years to serious study of their religion: mem...

Obama Defeats Romney

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By Kent Klein<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Photo © Four more years<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Barack
Obama has won a second four-year term as president of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place>.  The Democratic incumbent defeated Republican
Mitt Romney in Tuesday's <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
presidential election.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">America</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">'s first African-American president won more
than the 270 electoral votes he needed to secure four more years in the White
House.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">After
clinching the victory, Obama told a crowd of thousands of supporters in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city> he is more determined
and more inspired than ever to tackle the country's challenges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"You
voted for action, not politics as usual," he said. "You elected us to
focus on your jobs, not ours.  And, in
the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working
with the leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve
together."<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The
president says he will work in his second term to reduce the </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> government's budget deficit, reform the tax
code, reform the nation's immigration system and reduce </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">'s
dependence on foreign oil.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Obama
congratulated his opponent on a hard-fought campaign and applauded Romney and
his family for their tradition of public service.  He says he will reach out to Republicans to
seek solutions to the country's problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"In
the weeks ahead I also look forward to sitting down with Governor Romney to
talk about where we can work together to move this country forward," said
Obama.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Former
Massachusetts Governor Romney, speaking to supporters in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:city>, conceded the election a short time
earlier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"I
have just called President Obama to congratulate him on his victory.  His supporters and his campaign also deserve
congratulations," said Romney. "I wish all of them well, but
particularly the president, the first lady and their daughters."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Romney
says he and his running mate, Representative Paul Ryan, gave their all in the
campaign and he thanked their supporters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"I
so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a
different direction.  But the nation
chose another leader and so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him
and for this great nation," Romney said. "Thank you and God bless <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>.  You guys are the best.  Thank you so much."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Obama
won almost all of the so-called "swing states" that he and Romney
both needed for victory. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">U.S.</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> presidential elections are not decided by
the popular vote, but by the Electoral College, in which each state's influence
on the outcome approximates its population.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Both
candidates made a final push for votes Tuesday, almost until the polls
closed.  Turnout was reported high in
many parts of the country, with some voters standing in line for hours, despite
a record amount of early voting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Although
the economy was the main issue of the campaign, Obama was the first president
in many decades to be re-elected while the nation was suffering from high
unemployment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Meanwhile,
Republicans retained control of the House of Representatives in Tuesday's
voting, but Democrats blocked the Republicans' effort to take control of the
Senate, where roughly one-third of the 100 seats were up for election.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Democrats
will replace Republican senators in <st1:state w:st="on">Massachusetts</st1:state>
and <st1:state w:st="on">Indiana</st1:state>, an independent will succeed a
Republican in <st1:state w:st="on">Maine</st1:state>, and in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Connecticut</st1:state></st1:place>, a Democrat will take the place
of retiring independent Senator Joe Lieberman.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Japanese-born
Democrat Mazie Hirono, who was elected in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hawaii</st1:place></st1:state>, will be the first Buddhist U.S.
Senator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">And,
the Senate will have its first openly gay member, with the election of Democrat
Tammy Baldwin in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Wisconsin</st1:state></st1:place>.
---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Obama Defeats Romney

By Kent Klein Photo © Four more years pic.twitter.com/bAJE6Vom Barack Obama has won a second four-year term as president o...

Amateur Dinosaur Tracker Uncovers Some Rare Fossils

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<b>By June Soh

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Photo © flickr.com/ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottkinmartin/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Scott Kinmartin</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Many
Washingtonians would have difficulty relating their city to the age of the
dinosaurs.  But it's not a stretch for
Ray Stanford.   He believes dinosaurs
took the region as their home more than 100 million years ago.  And he has amassed dinosaur foot prints -
from fossils - that he found in the <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state>
suburbs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">On
most sunny days, Ray Stanford can be found along creeks in <st1:city w:st="on">College
 Park</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Maryland</st1:state>, in the <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state> suburbs.  Stanford began hunting for fossil footprints
18 years ago. Since then, Stanford has collected more than a thousand
footprints of various kinds of dinosaurs. 
He turned his living room into what he calls the "<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Stanford</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype></st1:place>."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Standford
says a fossilized baby dinosaur in his collection is one of the only known
hatchling dinosaurs of any kind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"It
is a natural cast of the mummy of a nodosaur fossil, an armored dinosaur that
grew to be very large and heavy as an adult," Standford notes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Standford
donated some of his findings to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural
History in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state>.  They are displayed in the "Dinosaurs in
Our Backyard" exhibit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Most
importantly, he has found footprints of dinosaurs that we haven't found bones
of yet.  So because he has found the
footprints, you know that these dinosaurs lived here. We didn't have the
information before Ray discovered them," notes Matthew Carrano, the
museum's curator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Recently
Stanford surprised even scientists at the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
space agency by finding a dinosaur footprint on the grounds of NASA's Space
Flight Center in the <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state>
suburbs.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Stanford
calls himself an amateur paleontologist. 
But he has co-authored scientific papers with other scientists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"It
is a great pleasure. You are seeing something that no one has ever seen. That
gives you a great sense of discovery, which is very exciting to me," says
Stanford.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ray
Stanford plans to keep on tracking until "there is nothing left to
find."---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Amateur Dinosaur Tracker Uncovers Some Rare Fossils

By June Soh Photo © flickr.com/ Scott Kinmartin Many Washingtonians would have difficulty relating their city to the ...

Hurricane Sandy Reignites Climate Change Debate

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By
Brian Padden<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
devastation to <st1:city w:st="on">New York City</st1:city> and the eastern
seaboard of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United
  States</st1:country-region></st1:place> from Hurricane Sandy has reignited
the debate over global warming.  Many experts
believe the warming of the planet is largely caused by the burning of fossil
fuels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Hurricane
<st1:city w:st="on">Sandy</st1:city> cut power to about 8 million homes, shut
down 70 percent of East Coast oil refineries, and will exceed, economists say, the
$15 billion worth of damage caused last year when Hurricane Irene hit <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state>.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">New
York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said his state must adapt to the reality of
more frequent extreme weather events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Carol
Werner with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute says climate change
scientists have long predicted that intense storms, droughts, and forest fires
would result from the rising temperatures and sea levels caused by global
warming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Scientists
have been warning us about this for decades, and unfortunately it is all happening
much earlier than what they had originally predicted back in the 80s,” Werner
said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But
climate change skeptics take issue with the argument that global warming is to
blame for intense storms.  Patrick
Michaels with the Cato Institute says <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New
  York</st1:place></st1:state> has just been unlucky.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“It
was the moon’s fault.  This storm hit at
full moon which raises the tide there a couple of feet, so the storm set a
record.  If it had occurred any other
time in the lunar cycle, that wouldn’t have happened,” Michaels said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Climate
change believers and skeptics agree that plans for coastal and low-lying areas
must adapt to rising sea levels.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But
there is still no consensus to mandate the reduction of carbon fuel emissions
to mitigate the effects of global warming. 
Michaels says the private sector will change over time as innovations
bring down the costs of clean energy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“The
best policy is not to do very much about it because technologies will change
dramatically over the course of a century. 
Consider what it was like a century ago, you know.  What’s nuclear power or what’s this box I
have in my pocket that can access all the information in the world?,” Michaels
said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Werner
says the government needs to lead on the issue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Yes,
the private sector is critical in terms of investment, but the private sector
will also tell you, industry after industry will say we need government
leadership.  We need certainty in terms
of policy.  That is the most critical
thing to enable us to truly move forward,” Werner said.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">She
says the lesson of Hurricane Sandy is that the cost of doing nothing is rising.
---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Hurricane Sandy Reignites Climate Change Debate

By Brian Padden The devastation to New York City and the eastern seaboard of the United States from Hurricane Sandy has reig...

Obama, Romney Largely Agree on Middle East Policy

<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By
Jeffrey Young<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">One
of the discussion areas between the two major party <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country>
presidential candidates has been North Africa and the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle
 East</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">While
President Barack Obama, the Democratic Party’s White House candidate, and his
Republican Party challenger Mitt Romney may have strong differences on a number
of domestic policy issues, their views on the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place>
don’t have many sharp contrasts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Arab
Spring<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Both
presidential candidates voice support for the Arab Spring, the popular uprising
in Arab nations that has toppled autocratic governments in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Tunisia</st1:country>, <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Libya</st1:country>,
and <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">President
Obama demonstrated his support in his U.N. address on September 25. “The world
has been captivated by the transformation that’s taken place. And the United - the
<st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country>
has supported the forces of change,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Former
Governor Romney, in a speech on October 8, pledged his effort to continue <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country> support for
democracy advocates in Arab nations should he be elected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“I
will begin organizing all of our diplomatic and assistance efforts in the
greater <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place> under one official, with
the authority and accountability necessary to train all of our soft power
resources on ensuring that the Arab Spring does not fade into a long winter,”
he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Libya</span></b></st1:place></st1:country><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">On September </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">11, 2012, an attack on the U.S. Consulate in
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Benghazi</st1:city>, <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Libya</st1:country></st1:place> killed U.S. Ambassador
Christopher Stevens and three others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mitt
Romney harshly criticized the president in their second debate for what he says
is a lack of candor about the origins of the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Benghazi</st1:place></st1:city> attack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"There
were many days that passed before we knew whether this was a spontaneous
demonstration, or, actually, whether it was a terrorist attack," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">President
Obama gave a strong response to Romney regarding <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Benghazi</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“The
day after the attack, Governor, I stood in the Rose Garden and I told the
American people and the world that we are going to find out exactly what
happened, that this was an act of terror," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Syria</span></b></st1:place></st1:country><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Both candidates say they support those
trying to oust Syrian President Bashar al</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">-Assad,
and agree that the <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country>
military should not get directly involved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But
President Obama says his support for the opposition does not extend to
providing weapons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"We
have to do so making absolutely certain that we know who we are helping, that
we’re not putting arms in the hands of folks who eventually could turn them against
us or our allies in the region,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Former
Governor Romney took a very different stance on weapons in the final debate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“I
want to make sure they get armed, and they have the arms necessary to defend
themselves, but also, to remove Assad. But I do not want to see a military
involvement on the part of our troops,” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Iran</span></b></st1:country><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">, <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country>, Palestinians<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Both
President Obama and former Governor Romney are emphatic in their support for <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country>, especially
in the face of Iranian threats against the Jewish State, as they both stated
during the final debate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“<st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country> is a
true friend. It is our greatest ally in the region. And, if <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Israel</st1:country> is attacked, <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">America</st1:country>
will stand with <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country>.
I’ve made that clear throughout my presidency,” said the president.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"If
I’m President of the <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">United States</st1:country>
- when I’m President of the <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">United States</st1:country>
- we will stand with <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country>.
And, if <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country>
is attacked, we have their back, not just diplomatically, not just culturally, but
militarily," said the Republican challenger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">What
hasn’t been discussed much by either candidate is <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country> efforts for resolution of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Iraq</span></b></st1:place></st1:country><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">One
Middle East Analyst, Khaled Elgindy at Brookings Institution, says the ethnic
and sectarian conflict seen in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country>
after the 2003 war should caution both presidential candidates that <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state> ultimately
cannot control the Arab Spring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The
<st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country>
- cannot determine outcomes. Of elections, of uprisings, of a political process.
We cannot pick ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ on the ground and expect to come out
victorious," said Elgindy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Elgindy
says that in these countries, their disparate elements need to find ways of
reconciling their political and other differences in order to develop inclusive,
representative governments. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Obama, Romney Largely Agree on Middle East Policy

By Jeffrey Young One of the discussion areas between the two major party U.S. presidential candidates has been North Africa and t...

Environmentalists Worried Over Increased Production of Autos

Environmentalists Worried Over Increased Production of Autos

By Zulima Palacio The production of passenger vehicles around the world reached an all-time high this year: 80 million new cars an...

Obama, Romney Tangle over China's Trade Practices

<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">U.S.
President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney used a foreign
policy debate Monday in <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state> to get tough
on <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">China</st1:country></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">President
Obama described <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country>
as an "adversary" but said he looked forward to partnering with the
rising Asian power as long as it follows international trade rules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"<st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country>'s an
adversary, and also a potential partner in the international community if it's
following the rules," said Obama. "So my attitude coming into office
was that we are going to insist that <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country> plays by the same rules as
everybody else."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Obama
said his administration has brought more trade violation cases against <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country> than the
previous administration did in two terms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Romney,
who has used harsh rhetoric on China throughout the campaign, said Beijing "doesn't
have to be an adversary," but warned that it cannot "roll all over us
and steal our jobs."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"I've
watched year in and year out as companies have shut down and people have lost
their jobs because <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country>
has not played by the same rules, in part by holding down artificially the
value of their currency," said romney. "It holds down the prices of
their goods. It means our goods aren't as competitive and we lose jobs. That's
got to end."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Romney
repeated his promise to label <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country>
a currency manipulator on his first day in office, a designation that would
allow for steeper tariffs on Chinese goods.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">During
the 15-minute segment set aside for discussing "The Rise of China and
Tomorrow's World," neither candidate mentioned <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">China</st1:country></st1:place>'s human rights situation, intensifying
maritime disputes, or upcoming leadership transition. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Obama, Romney Tangle over China's Trade Practices

U.S. President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney used a foreign policy debate Monday in Florida to get tough o...

India among Bottom 5 Nations in Child Mortality: UN

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hRrvsM4jxpQ" width="640"></iframe><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">UNITED NATIONS (NNN-UNI) -- The pace of childhood death rates has declined sharply in recent decades - with an estimated 6.9 million children dying before their fifth birthday last year, compared to around 12 million in 1990 and India figured among the nations that still suffer acutely.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia still account for more than 80 per cent of global under-five deaths. Their disparity with other regions is becoming more marked as regions such as Eastern Asia and Northern Africa have cut child deaths by more than two-thirds since 1990, according to a new UN report.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Half of all under-five deaths occurred in five countries: India, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan and China, according to the report, which also found that India and Nigeria account for more than a third of all under-five deaths worldwide.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The report released here Friday asked for greater strides to meet international goals in order to save infants and young children.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">"Proven solutions need to be expanded to accelerate progress on child survival faster and farther," said the report of the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Formed in 2004, the group is made up of the UN Children's Fund, the World Health Organization, the Population Division of the UN Department of Development and Social Affairs (DESA) and the World Bank.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Its activities include sharing data on child mortality and improving methods for child mortality estimation reporting on progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, a set of eight goals agreed upon by world leaders in 2000 to slash extreme poverty and other global ills.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The group said gains in child survival, though significant, are still insufficient to achieve the fourth MDG, which calls for reducing the global under-five mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Only six of the world's ten regions are on track to reach the target. Worldwide, an estimated 19,000 children died every day in 2011, with around 40 per cent in the first month of life and most from preventable causes. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The report calls for systematic action to reduce neonatal mortality. "Highly cost-effective interventions are feasible even at the community level," said the group, which advocates expanding preventative and curative interventions that target the main causes of infant mortality.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Globally, it noted, the leading causes of death among children under five are pneumonia, pre-term birth complications, diarrhoea, complications during birth and malaria. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The report said rates of child mortality have fallen in all regions of the world in the last two decades - down by at least 50 per cent in Eastern Asia, Northern Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Southeastern Asia and Western Asia. -- NNN-UNI<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India among Bottom 5 Nations in Child Mortality: UN

UNITED NATIONS (NNN-UNI) -- The pace of childhood death rates has declined sharply in recent decades - with an estimated 6.9 million ch...

Anti-U.S. Protests Continue in Muslim World over Film

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><iframe frameborder="0" height="429" scrolling="no" src="http://www.voanews.com/flashembed.aspx?t=vid&id=1508510&w=640&h=429&skin=embeded" width="640"></iframe><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">BEIJING (NNN-Xinhua) -- A new wave of protests and assaults against U.S. diplomatic missions erupted in the Muslim world after Friday prayers, when people continued to vent their anger over an American film that was deemed an insult to Prophet Mohammed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In central Cairo, clashes continued around the U.S. embassy with hundreds of protesters hurling stones to the police. The Health Ministry said 27 people were injured, bringing the toll to 251 since protests erupted Tuesday.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The police have arrested 94 protesters and used teargas to disperse those surrounding the embassy, according to state TV.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Several Coptic movements also participated in the protests in central Cairo's Tahrir Square, carrying banners asking for criminalizing the acts of offending religions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Protests also spread to the U.S. consulate in Alexandria and the headquarters of international peacekeeping force in north Sinai.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At least four peacekeepers were injured when gunmen attacked the headquarters of the international peacekeeping force, a peacekeeping official told Xinhua.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Peacekeepers and militant protesters exchanged fire and protesters set one car and the camp's monitoring tower ablaze.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In Tunis, at least three protesters were killed in clashes, after a massive demonstration outside the U.S. embassy in the country, the official TAP news agency said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile, TAP said some 20 people were injured in the clashes between security forces and protesters.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some protesters managed to climb over a wall into the embassy and set a lot of cars ablaze. Heavy smoke was seen above the embassy, and security forces were seen firing rubber bullets and using teargas to disperse the crowd.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ambulances and firefighters rushed to the scene to rescue the injured and put out the fire.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some of the protesters, who gathered after the Friday prayers, told Xinhua that they want to force the U.S. ambassador to Tunisia to come out and demand the release of the demonstrators who were arrested earlier.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile, local witnesses said another group of angry youngsters also set ablaze an American school which is close to the U.S. embassy in Tunis, causing heavy property damage.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In Lebanon's northern port city of Tripoli, at least one person was killed and 25 others injured in clashes between angry youngsters and security forces.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Protesters in front of a KFC restaurant hurled stones at security forces and set the restaurant on fire, the National News Agency reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A number of worshipers also gathered in Tripoli after Friday prayers, waving black flags and calling to expel the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Similar rallies were also held in Lebanon's cities of Taalabaya and Zahle following the prayers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, at least three people were killed as protesters tried to gain access to the U.S. embassy there.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The three dead were reportedly all protesters who were hit by a police vehicle as they attempted to force their way into the U.S. embassy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Witnesses said nearly 10,000 protesters were heading to the U.S. embassy, which had already been heavily guarded by Sudanese troops and police. Some U.S. Marine soldiers were also seen protecting the embassy building.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On Friday, protests also hit Iran, Jordan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama vowed to "stand fast" against the recent wave of violence targeting American diplomatic missions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Addressing a home-coming ceremony held at the Andrews Air Force Base near Washington D.C. for the remains of four Americans killed on Tuesday night in the Libyan city of Benghazi, the solemn-faced president said: "Their sacrifice will never be forgotten. We will bring to justice those who took them from us."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"We will stand fast against the violence on our diplomatic missions," he added, pledging to "continue to do everything in our power" to protect Americans serving overseas. -- NNN-XINHUA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Anti-U.S. Protests Continue in Muslim World over Film

BEIJING (NNN-Xinhua) -- A new wave of protests and assaults against U.S. diplomatic missions erupted in the Muslim world after Friday pr...

American Car Makers Bet Billions on Russia’s Car Boom

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">By James Brooke<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="429" scrolling="no" src="http://www.voanews.com/flashembed.aspx?t=vid&id=1502033&w=640&h=429&skin=embeded" width="640"></iframe><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">MOSCOW (VOA News) — Russian-made cars used to conjure up images of boxy, broken down Ladas. Now car sales are jumping and foreign car makers are investing billions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">This week, Moscow’s International Motor Show is supplying plenty of glitz. But behind the hoopla, the real excitement is that Russia is on its way to become one of the world’s top five car markets.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">With sales jumping in Russia, and slumping in Europe this year, Russia is projected to displace Germany in 2014 as Europe’s largest car market. That would make Russia the world’s fourth largest car market - after China, the United States and Japan, according to the research group Euromonitor.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Russia finally joined the World Trade Organization last month. Now car companies are racing to boost production before import tariffs start dropping.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Each of the American big three automakers - Ford, GM and Chrysler - plans to invest $1 billion in car factories in Russia.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“We were the first ones in here 10 years ago, and we’ve built over 500,000 vehicles here,” says Ted Cannis, president of the Ford Sollers joint venture in Russia. “This is a key, core place in Russia. And we see a huge potential for Ford.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">A few stands away, James Bovenzi, GM’s president for Russia, says GM’s plan is to double its Russia production over the next five years.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“GM values the Russian market,” Bovenzi says. “We see it as one of the big growing markets in the world.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">To generate buzz in Russia, GM invited Henry Kissinger to their plant expansion ceremony last June in St. Petersburg.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">With car sales up 14 percent in Russia so far this year, dealers are struggling to meet demand.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">At a brand new Chrysler dealership on Moscow’s beltway, John Stech, Chrysler Russia CEO, talks about the demand.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“We've brought completely refreshed vehicles, all new vehicles, onto the Russian market,” he said, while visiting the dealership for the first time. “And they really resonate with the Russian customers. For a while we couldn't get enough. Now we have a better supply, and we see this really in the activity in our dealers."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">And there is room for growth. There is about one car for every four Russians - about half the average for Western Europe and the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Chris Weafer, strategist for Troika Dialog, says Russian consumers have money in their pockets.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">"It is one of the fastest growing consumer markets in the world,” he says. “And that’s coming on the back of very strong disposable income growth - about $8,000 this year, rising to a projected $12,000 in about 4 or 5 years time. So people have more money to spend on consumer goods."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Bernard Sucher, a long-term American investor and sometime Russia critic, comes from Detroit, home of the Big Three American manufacturers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The Motor City native is impressed by what is happening in Russia.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“They`ve done a pretty good job in encouraging global producers and suppliers of addressing Russian markets in terms favorable for foreign players, but at the same time promising that Russia will retain substantial manufacturing capacities itself,” Sucher says. “It`s a good story. It’s a win-win story. And we would like to see more of that.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Now, with all the new cars hitting the streets, Russia’s challenge is to build parking - and roads.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>

American Car Makers Bet Billions on Russia’s Car Boom

By James Brooke MOSCOW (VOA News) — Russian-made cars used to conjure up images of boxy, broken down Ladas. Now car sales are jumping and ...