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Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng - who was at the centre of a diplomatic crisis with the US - is on his way to...

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The appointment of Fleur Pellerin as France's first South Korean-born minister has prompted soul searching over social values in the country of her birth where she was adopted at the age of six months. Media and the ruling party said her appointment was a testament to French tolerance that South Korea could learn a lesson from, amid growing controversy over discrimination against immigrants and their children in...

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Antigovernment anger in Syria escalated on Friday over the harsh repression of students in Aleppo, the country’s largest city, where activists reported what they called the most extensive protests there yet in the 15-month-old nationwide uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. Related Forces Storm University in Syria During Protest, Killing at Least 4, Activists Say (May 4, 2012) Students Are Assailed at a Protest in Syria (May 18, 2012) The Lede Blog: U.N. Observers Dodge Bullets and Mockery in Syria (May 18, 2012) Connect With Us on Twitter Follow @nytimesworld for international breaking news and headlines. Twitter List: Reporters and Editors Many thousands of demonstrators,...

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Connect With Us on Twitter Follow @nytimesworld for international breaking news and headlines. Twitter List: Reporters and Editors UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Security Council diplomats say an expert panel has reported that North Korea continues to violate U.N. sanctions, citing possible attempts to ship arms to Syria and Myanmar and illegally import luxury goods. Two diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because the panel's report has not been released, said Friday the panel concluded that reports of violations from U.N. member states "illustrate elaborate techniques" by North Korea to evade the discovery of its sanctions-busting. The Security Council imposed sanctions against North...

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ANOTHER maid fell to her death, apparently while cleaning the windows of a high-rise flat. This is after eight similar...

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The world chess championships are under way in Russia, where Vishwanathan Anand defends his title. His success is widely credited for the growing popularity of chess in his home country, India, the nation widely believed to have given the game to the world. He's been described by some as the Sachin Tendulkar of chess, a role model to thousands of Indian school children and arguably one of the country's most successful sportsmen. Vishwanathan Anand is India's biggest chess star, and was the first in the country to secure the game's highest honour, by becoming a grandmaster. Anand gained international acclaim in 2000 after he became world chess champion, a title he has now...

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Nicol David overcame an early scare to reach the semi-finals of the British Open on Friday and earn a meeting with Laura Massaro, the player who has been the nearest thing to a rival over the past 18 months. The World Open record-holder from Malaysia suffered a rocky ride for the first 20 minutes against giant-killer Joelle King before turning it around completely in a 8-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-0 success....

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REUTERS - German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed with Greece's...

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YANGON, Myanmar-Officials and businessmen in Myanmar welcomed U.S. plans to ease economic sanctions, saying Friday it will benefit both countries in a market long cut off from most Western investment. However, human rights activists are wary and some exporters in Myanmar say they may not immediately benefit. President Barack Obama on Thursday announced he was easing an investment ban and naming the first U.S. ambassador to Myanmar in 22 years to reward it for democratic reforms. Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's election to parliament last month prompted Western governments to roll back years of hard-hitting restrictions against the Asian nation also...

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A Sri Lankan court granted jailed ex-army chief Sarath Fonseka bail on Friday, paving the way for the implementation of a presidential pardon. The high court imposed bail of one million rupees ($8,000) on Fonseka in a case in which he is accused of employing military deserters, his lawyer Saliya Peiris said. President Mahinda...

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