News

at 3:44 on July 4, 2008, EDT.

Rescued hostage Betancourt to arrive in France to presidential welcome

PARIS - President Nicolas Sarkozy's office says freed hostage Ingrid Betancourt will be greeted in France with a welcome ceremony at an air base and an invitation to the presidential palace.

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at 8:20 on July 4, 2008, EDT.

Vatican says Pope to meet Betancourt as soon as his schedule permits

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican says that Pope Benedict will meet with freed hostage Ingrid Betancourt as soon as his schedule permits.

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at 8:29 on July 4, 2008, EDT.

Eight dead, 5 missing after canoes are crushed going over half-built dam in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia - Divers pulled seven bodies out of the Sava River and fought strong currents Friday to search for five other missing people after two canoes were crushed running over a dam in southeastern Slovenia.

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at 8:34 on July 4, 2008, EDT.

Pakistani government 'serious' in fighting militants in volatile northwest

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A senior Pakistani official said Friday the government is serious about fighting Islamic militants, after authorities said they had rounded up 220 suspects as a military operation proceeded in a volatile tribal region.

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at 8:43 on July 4, 2008, EDT.

Eight officers killed after gunmen attack in southern Afghanistan

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Gunmen lobbed a grenade and sprayed a police checkpoint with gunfire in southern Afghanistan, killing eight officers, Kandahar's police chief said Friday.

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at 8:53 on July 4, 2008, EDT.

Six Hindu worshippers killed in stampede in eastern India, say police

BHUBANESHWAR, India - Police say at least six Hindu worshippers have died in a stampede in eastern India as a crowd of pilgrims rushed toward the statue of a goddess.

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at 9:16 on July 4, 2008, EDT.

Bomb kills young girl, wounds 6 in Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan - Pakistani police say a bomb has killed a young girl and wounded six other people in the southwestern city of Quetta.

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at 8:31 on July 4, 2008, EDT.

Israel closes Gaza crossings in response to rocket attacks

JERUSALEM - Israel says it is keeping Gaza's border crossings closed in retaliation for a rocket attack.

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at 9:01 on July 4, 2008, EDT.

Wildfire chases July 4th visitors from Big Sur, Calif.

BIG SUR, Calif. - Independence Day is normally a booming time for tourism here, with visitors settling into cliffside vacation homes or trekking out to campgrounds nestled among the redwoods. But this year, the only out-of-towners in Big Sur are firefighters working around the clock to save the storied community from flames.

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at 8:56 on July 4, 2008, EDT.

UN chief urges South Koreans to trust their government on beef safety

SEOUL, South Korea - United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon told his fellow South Koreans on Friday to trust and support the country's leaders following weeks of protests against U.S. beef imports that have rocked the government.

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