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    <title>World Politics for Richmond Times-Dispatch</title>
    <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/</link>
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        <title>World Politics for Richmond Times-Dispatch</title>
        <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/</link>
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    <description></description>
    <dc:language>en</dc:language>
    <dc:creator>Richmond Times-Dispatch</dc:creator>
    <dc:rights>Copyright 2009</dc:rights>
    <dc:date>2009-11-22T08:35:39-05:00</dc:date>

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         <item>
          <title>European Union leaders deadlocked over top 2 jobs</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/european_union_leaders_deadlocked_over_top_2_jobs/306716/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The European Union&#8217;s 27 leaders were facing an all-nighter Thursday as a bruising battle loomed over who to name as the bloc&#8217;s first full-time president and new foreign policy chief.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:17:40 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/european_union_leaders_deadlocked_over_top_2_jobs/306716/#When:12:17:40Z</guid>
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          <title>Obama says U.S., allies discussing Iran sanctions</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/obama_says_u.s._allies_discussing_iran_sanctions/306704/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Showing impatience with Iranian foot-dragging, President Barack Obama said Thursday that the U.S. and its allies are discussing possible new penalties to bring fresh pressure on Iran for defying international attempts to halt its contested nuclear program.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:57:27 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/obama_says_u.s._allies_discussing_iran_sanctions/306704/#When:10:57:27Z</guid>
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          <title>Obama pushes human rights in meetings with Chinese</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAMGAT172_20091117-061601/306255/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
BEIJING&#8212;President Barack Obama is pushing China on human rights, telling President Hu Jintao the U.S. believes all men and woman have &#8220;certain fundamental rights.&#8220; Obama met with his counterpart during two meetings today and pushed for improved treatment of Chinese ethnic and religious minorities. Obama said they agreed to continue the discussion in a session scheduled for early next year.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:16:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAMGAT172_20091117-061601/306255/#When:11:16:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>China protesters plead for help from Obama</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAMGAT10_20091110-055601/304801/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
BEIJING&#8212;A group of protesters pleaded for help today from President Barack Obama before his visit to China next week, saying anyone seen as a troublemaker is often treated harshly before major events in the capital. Chinese authorities regularly crack down on dissidents before politically sensitive anniversaries or visits from foreign dignitaries, but the protesters said ordinary people get caught up in the sweeps.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:56:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAMGAT10_20091110-055601/304801/#When:10:56:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>U.S.&#45;brokered pact for Honduran crisis fails</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/HONGAT06_20091106-055002/304054/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras&#8212;Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya said today that a U.S.-brokered pact failed to end a four-month political crisis after a deadline for forming a unity government passed. &#8220;The accord is dead,&#8220; Zelaya told Radio Globo from from the Brazilian Embassy where he has been hold up under threat of arrest. &#8220;There is no sense in deceiving Hondurans.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:50:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/HONGAT06_20091106-055002/304054/#When:10:50:02Z</guid>
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          <title>India restricts coverage of Dalai Lama&#8217;s visit</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/INDGAT05_20091105-063001/303828/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
NEW DELHI&#8212;The Indian government refused today to allow foreign journalists to cover the Dalai Lama&#8217;s visit to a northeastern state at the heart of a long-running border dispute with China. Permits allowing foreign correspondents to travel to Arunachal Pradesh state were not given, and the government revoked passes previously provided to four of them, including two Associated Press journalists.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:30:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/INDGAT05_20091105-063001/303828/#When:11:30:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Karzai opponent: Re&#45;election was illegitimate</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/AFGH05_20091104-213401/303718/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
KABUL&#8212;The challenger in Afghanistan&#8217;s recent election called President Hamid Karzai&#8217;s victory illegal and his government a failure, saying yesterday that the tainted administration would not be able to check corruption or fend off the Taliban. Former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said he did not plan to challenge Karzai&#8217;s victory in court but would leave it to the Afghan people to decide whether to accept Karzai as their legitimate leader for another five-year term.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:20 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/AFGH05_20091104-213401/303718/#When:05:01:20Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Beijing says Dalai Lama shows anti&#45;China bias</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/beijing_says_dalai_lama_shows_anti-china_bias/303359/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
China said it expressed grave concern to India about a visit by the Dalai Lama to a state in the country&#8217;s northeast at the heart of a long-running border dispute, saying it showed an anti-China bias.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:28:32 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/beijing_says_dalai_lama_shows_anti-china_bias/303359/#When:11:28:32Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Afghan president says all welcome in his government</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/AFGHGAT03_20091103-060001/303352/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
KABUL&#8212;Afghanistan&#8217;s president says he wants people from &#8220;all parts of the country&#8221; in his government. President Hamid Karzai told reporters today that he will welcome anyone from the opposition into his government and will institute reforms to stamp out corruption. Yesterday, he won a drawn-out election by default following a first-round vote that was marred by fraud. Election officials proclaimed Karzai the winner of the runoff after his only challenger dropped out saying that the election could not be free or fair.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:00:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/AFGHGAT03_20091103-060001/303352/#When:11:00:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Clinton to meet Arab ministers on peace prospects</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/clinton_to_meet_arab_ministers_on_peace_prospects/303169/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton prepared Monday to consult with Arab foreign ministers on Obama administration efforts to get Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace negotiations, two days after she raised Arab ire by praising Israel&#8217;s offer to limit &#8212; but not stop &#8212; Jewish settlement construction.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:44:44 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/clinton_to_meet_arab_ministers_on_peace_prospects/303169/#When:12:44:44Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Clinton calls Israeli concessions &#8216;unprecedented&#8217;</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/clinton_calls_israeli_concessions_unprecedented/302853/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says Israel is making &#8220;unprecedented&#8221; concessions on West Bank settlement construction.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:55:52 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/clinton_calls_israeli_concessions_unprecedented/302853/#When:21:55:52Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Deadly day in Afghanistan</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/AFGH27G_20091026-230401/301841/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Brings the number of U.S. service members killed in October to at least 47.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/AFGH27G_20091026-230401/301841/#When:05:01:00Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Massive security at Asian summit in Thailand</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/massive_security_at_asian_summit_in_thailand/300928/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Thailand has mounted one of its biggest security operations in recent history with more than 36,000 military and police to prevent anti-government demonstrators from overrunning a summit of Asian leaders, an official spokesman said Thursday.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:10:41 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/massive_security_at_asian_summit_in_thailand/300928/#When:11:10:41Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Russia strikes preliminary gas deal with China</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/russia_strikes_preliminary_gas_deal_with_china/299080/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
China and Russia signed a framework agreement Tuesday that could see a steady flow of natural gas to energy-hungry China from its resource-rich neighbor.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:05:59 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/russia_strikes_preliminary_gas_deal_with_china/299080/#When:12:05:59Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama to meet with Spanish prime minister</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAMGAT121_20091012-073402/298917/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is to meet President Barack Obama in Washington, culminating years of efforts to mend ties damaged by the Iraq war when George W. Bush was in office. It is the first official invitation of a Spanish premier to the White House since Zapatero&#8217;s 2004 announcement that he was withdrawing his country&#8217;s troops from Iraq, arguing that the U.S.-led invasion was illegal.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:34:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAMGAT121_20091012-073402/298917/#When:12:34:02Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Russian foreign minister says Iranian missile tests cause concern</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/russian_foreign_minister_says_iranian_missile_tests_cause_concern/296046/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Russia&#8217;s foreign minister is being quoted by his country&#8217;s news agencies as saying that Iran&#8217;s missile tests are causing concern.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:02:53 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/russian_foreign_minister_says_iranian_missile_tests_cause_concern/296046/#When:19:02:53Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>UN marks 60th year of helping Palestinian refugees</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/un_marks_60th_year_of_helping_palestinian_refugees/295189/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
In marking its 60th anniversary Thursday, the cash-strapped U.N. aid agency for Palestinian refugees asked the world for more generous funding and a renewed push to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:03:20 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/un_marks_60th_year_of_helping_palestinian_refugees/295189/#When:16:03:20Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Official denies Tibet ban for foreign visitors</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/official_denies_tibet_ban_for_foreign_visitors/295175/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A Chinese official on Thursday denied reports that Tibet will be closed to foreign visitors over the sensitive Oct. 1 national day period.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:16:18 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/official_denies_tibet_ban_for_foreign_visitors/295175/#When:12:16:18Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama to world: Don&#8217;t expect America to fix it all</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAM24_20090923-222604/295123/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
UNITED NATIONS&#8212;President Barack Obama bluntly prodded world leaders yesterday to join the U.S. in solving pressing global problems, challenging them to move beyond &#8220;an almost reflexive anti-Americanism which, too often, has served as an excuse for collective inaction.&#8220; Obama, making his inaugural address to the U.N. General Assembly, told fellow leaders in so many words that he has changed the tone and substance of U.S. security policies he inherited from President George W. Bush, and it is time for them to reciprocate.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:01:28 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAM24_20090923-222604/295123/#When:05:01:28Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama says nations must face world&#8217;s challenges together</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;09&#45;23&#45;11&#45;11&#45;42</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama exhorted world leaders on Wednesday to step up and do their part in tackling global challenges in promoting security and prosperity rather than waiting for America to do it alone.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:33:40 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;09&#45;23&#45;11&#45;11&#45;42#When:13:33:40Z</guid>
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          <title>Palin emerges in Asia with speech to investors</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/PALINGAT23_20090923-060402/294883/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
HONG KONG&#8212;Former U.S. vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, criticized for her lack of foreign policy experience, emerged in Asia today to give a speech that could boost her credentials for a possible bid for the presidency in 2012. In her first trip to the region, the former Alaska governor spoke at an annual conference of global investers in Hong Kong and was set to discuss everything from governance to economics, according to the event&#8217;s organizer.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:04:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/PALINGAT23_20090923-060402/294883/#When:11:04:02Z</guid>
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          <title>Obama urges Israeli, Palestinian sides to do more</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;09&#45;22&#45;13&#45;59&#45;36</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
 Pressing for elusive Mideast peace, President Barack Obama on Tuesday challenged Israeli and Palestinians leaders to do more, saying it was time to &#8220;find a way forward.&#8220; It was the president&#8217;s most direct engagement yet on a problem that has vexed leaders for years.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:38:18 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;09&#45;22&#45;13&#45;59&#45;36#When:19:38:18Z</guid>
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          <title>Poles, Czechs: U.S. missile defense shift a betrayal</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/poles_czechs_u.s._missile_defense_shift_a_betrayal/293822/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Poles and Czechs voiced deep concern Friday at President Barack Obama&#8217;s decision to scrap a Bush-era missile defense shield planned for their countries.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:15:33 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/poles_czechs_u.s._missile_defense_shift_a_betrayal/293822/#When:13:15:33Z</guid>
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          <title>UPDATE: Obama scraps Bush&#8217;s European missile defense plan</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/u.s._expected_to_shelve_european_missile_defense_plan/293523/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama shelved a Bush-era plan for an Eastern European missile defense plan that has been a major irritant in relations with Russia. He said a redesigned defensive system would be cheaper, quicker and more effective against the threat from Iranian missiles.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:34:15 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/u.s._expected_to_shelve_european_missile_defense_plan/293523/#When:11:34:15Z</guid>
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          <title>Karzai still leads in Afghan election tally; recount ordered</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/AFGHGAT08_20090908-091802/291352/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
KABUL&#8212;Afghanistan&#8217;s election commission says President Hamid Karzai has 54 percent of the vote with almost all the ballots in the Aug. 20 presidential poll now counted. The results show that Karzai has surpassed the important 50 percent threshold for the first time. Karzai needs a majority of ballots cast to avoid a two-man run-off with his top challenger, Abdullah Abdullah. The commission says nearly 92 percent of votes have been counted.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:18:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/AFGHGAT08_20090908-091802/291352/#When:14:18:02Z</guid>
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          <title>U.S. cuts aid to Honduras</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/HONDGAT03_20090903-132802/290391/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;The Obama administration today cut all non-humanitarian aid to Honduras over the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya, making permanent a temporary suspension of U.S. aid imposed after he was deposed in June. The State Department made the announcement as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was meeting with Zelaya. Spokesman Ian Kelly did not say how much assistance would be cut but officials have said previously that more than $200 million is at stake. Kelly said it affected &#8220;a broad range of assistance to the government of Honduras.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:28:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/HONDGAT03_20090903-132802/290391/#When:18:28:02Z</guid>
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          <title>Taiwan: China cancels events over Dalai Lama visit</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/LAMAGAT01_20090901-065601/289696/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
TAIPEI, Taiwan&#8212;China has canceled or postponed several events meant to highlight its rapidly improving relations with Taiwan, apparently to show anger over the Dalai Lama&#8217;s visit to the island, Taiwan&#8217;s ruling party said today. The Tibetan spiritual leader&#8217;s visit, aimed at comforting victims of last month&#8217;s deadly typhoon, has posed the most serious challenge to relations between the island and the mainland since President Ma Ying-jeou took office 15 months ago on a platform of ending 60 years of hostility.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:56:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/LAMAGAT01_20090901-065601/289696/#When:11:56:01Z</guid>
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          <title>Pope accepts Pa. bishop&#8217;s resignation</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/POPEGAT31_20090831-090601/289503/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
VATICAN CITY&#8212;Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the early retirement of a U.S. bishop who has denounced nuns for sponsoring lectures by gay-rights advocates and directed priests to deny communion to abortion backers, the Vatican said today. The brief announcement, keeping to Vatican tradition, did not say why the staunchly conservative Monsignor Joseph Martino, 63, Bishop of Scranton, Pa., had submitted his resignation. He took up the post in 2003.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:06:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/POPEGAT31_20090831-090601/289503/#When:14:06:01Z</guid>
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          <title>Scotland: Lockerbie bomber decision not part of oil deal</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/LOCKGAT31_20090831-064601/289490/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
LONDON&#8212;A senior Scottish politician says the decision to release the Lockerbie bomber was based on justice rather than commercial considerations. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland&#8217;s deputy first minister, told the BBC today that Abdel Baset al-Megrahi&#8217;s release earlier this month because he is dying was allowed &#8220;entirely on justice grounds, and there were no influences relating to political or economic interests that played a part in that.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2009 06:46:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/LOCKGAT31_20090831-064601/289490/#When:11:46:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Arms official says Iran stonewalling on nuclear capabilities</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/arms_official_says_iran_stonewalling_on_nuclear_capabilities/288992/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Iran is stonewalling the U.N. nuclear watchdog on &#8220;possible military dimensions&#8221; to its suspect nuclear program, officials said Friday, urging the regime to clarify the mysterious role of a foreign explosives expert and shed light on other issues.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:18:43 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/arms_official_says_iran_stonewalling_on_nuclear_capabilities/288992/#When:21:18:43Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Graham hopes Clinton North Korea mission is an opening</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/graham_hopes_clinton_north_korea_mission_is_an_opening/283967/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Sen. Lindsay Graham says he hopes former President Clinton&#8217;s visit to North Korea can yield some progress on nuclear issues as well as winning the release of two jailed American journalists.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:24:27 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/graham_hopes_clinton_north_korea_mission_is_an_opening/283967/#When:12:24:27Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>China dismisses Uighur claim 10,000 are missing</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/china_dismisses_uighur_claim_10000_are_missing/283075/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
China dismissed an exiled activist&#8217;s claim that 10,000 minority Uighurs disappeared during a recent crackdown after ethnic riots erupted in its far west, calling the figure &#8220;completely fabricated&#8221; on Thursday.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:29:57 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/china_dismisses_uighur_claim_10000_are_missing/283075/#When:11:29:57Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Albania plans to legalize gay marriage</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/ALBANGAT30_20090730-060201/283069/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
TIRANA, Albania&#8212;Albania&#8217;s governing Democrats have proposed a law allowing same-sex civil weddings in the small, predominantly Muslim country. An announcement on the government Web site today said the bill &#8220;may spark debate&#8221; but was needed to stop discrimination against gay couples. Current law only recognizes heterosexual marriages.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:02:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/ALBANGAT30_20090730-060201/283069/#When:11:02:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama sees &#8216;sustained cooperation, not confrontation&#8217; with China</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CHINA_TALKS?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;07&#45;27&#45;11&#45;03&#45;56</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama, opening two days of high-level talks with China, said the discussions could lay the groundwork for a new era of &#8220;sustained cooperation, not confrontation&#8221; in a relationship likely to shape the 21st century.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:09:14 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CHINA_TALKS?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;07&#45;27&#45;11&#45;03&#45;56#When:16:09:14Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Gates vows new sanctions if Iran balks on nuclear talks</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/gates_vows_new_sanctions_if_iran_balks_on_nuclear_talks/282441/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the United States will seek much tougher United Nations sanctions on Iran if that nation spurns the offer of talks on its disputed nuclear program.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:43:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/gates_vows_new_sanctions_if_iran_balks_on_nuclear_talks/282441/#When:15:43:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Taiwan, China leaders exchange 1st direct messages in 60 years</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/taiwan_china_leaders_exchange_1st_direct_messages_in_60_years/282427/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The presidents of Taiwan and China exchanged direct messages for the first time Monday since the two sides split 60 years ago &#8212; the latest sign of their warming relations.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:18:50 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/taiwan_china_leaders_exchange_1st_direct_messages_in_60_years/282427/#When:12:18:50Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>French president hospitalized after collapsing during jog</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/french_president_hospitalized_after_collapsing_during_jog/282299/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
French President Nicolas Sarkozy faints during an afternoon jog.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:50:33 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/french_president_hospitalized_after_collapsing_during_jog/282299/#When:19:50:33Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Biden says U.S. supports Ukraine&#8217;s NATO bid</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/biden_says_u.s._supports_ukraines_nato_bid/281238/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Vice President Joe Biden says Washington supports Ukraine&#8217;s bid to join NATO and the country is free to choose its foreign policy alliances.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:26:34 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/biden_says_u.s._supports_ukraines_nato_bid/281238/#When:13:26:34Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Clinton defends U.S. demands for anti&#45;terror help</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/clinton_defends_u.s._demands_for_anti-terror_help/280793/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Off the injured list and back on the world stage, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Saturday gave an impassioned defense of American demands that India and other countries do more to tackle terrorism and global warming.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:52:20 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/clinton_defends_u.s._demands_for_anti-terror_help/280793/#When:19:52:20Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>EU Parliament elects former Polish leader Buzek as president</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/eu_parliament_elects_former_polish_leader_buzek_as_president/279875/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
European Parliament lawmakers have elected ex-Polish prime minister, and former Solidarity activist Jerzy Buzek as president of the 736-member assembly.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:42:41 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/eu_parliament_elects_former_polish_leader_buzek_as_president/279875/#When:11:42:41Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama urges poorer nations to fight global warming</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;07&#45;09&#45;07&#45;08&#45;53</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama said the global recession makes it harder to strike an international agreement to battle dangerous temperature increases, but he urged the poor emerging economies that rejected specific clean-energy goals to &#8220;fight the temptation toward cynicism&#8221; and embrace them soon.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:16:44 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;07&#45;09&#45;07&#45;08&#45;53#When:12:16:44Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Mixed results for Obama&#8217;s first Moscow summit</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;07&#45;07&#45;06&#45;04&#45;28</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The president wound up getting the expected agreement on deep cuts in nuclear arsenals, but he is leaving Moscow with few assurances of Kremlin help in solving other issues key to his foreign policy agenda.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:38:43 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;07&#45;07&#45;06&#45;04&#45;28#When:11:38:43Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Steelers owner Dan Rooney confirmed as Irish ambassador</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/ROONEYGAT26_20090626-072002/276516/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney was confirmed by the Senate yesterday as U.S. ambassador to Ireland. The nomination was approved by voice vote. Rooney was a lifelong Republican who backed President Barack Obama over Hillary Rodham Clinton during Pennsylvania&#8217;s presidential primary last year. He later campaigned for Obama in western Pennsylvania and helped him win the state in November.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:20:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/ROONEYGAT26_20090626-072002/276516/#When:12:20:02Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Supreme leader says Iran won&#8217;t cede on election</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/supreme_leader_says_iran_wont_cede_on_election/275981/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Iran&#8217;s supreme leader says the government won&#8217;t give in to pressures over the disputed presidential election, effectively closing the door to compromise with the opposition.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:40:52 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/supreme_leader_says_iran_wont_cede_on_election/275981/#When:11:40:52Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Election battles turn into street fights in Iran</title>
          <link>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_IRAN_ELECTION?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=NATIONAL&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;06&#45;13&#45;22&#45;09&#45;15</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Opponents of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clashed with police in the heart of Iran&#8217;s capital Saturday, pelting them with rocks and setting fires in the worst unrest in Tehran in a decade. They accused the hard-line president of using fraud to steal election victory from his reformist rival.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:01:19 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_IRAN_ELECTION?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=NATIONAL&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;06&#45;13&#45;22&#45;09&#45;15#When:05:01:19Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Rivals claim victory in Iranian election</title>
          <link>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_IRAN_ELECTION?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;06&#45;12&#45;17&#45;42&#45;33</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Iran&#8217;s interior ministry said today that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was far ahead with nearly 80 percent of all votes counted, but his pro-reform rival countered that he was the clear victor and warned of possible fraud in the election. The dispute sharply boosted tensions after an intense monthlong race between the combative president and his main challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has the backing of a youth-oriented movement.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:01:15 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_IRAN_ELECTION?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;06&#45;12&#45;17&#45;42&#45;33#When:05:01:15Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Conservatives score wins in EU parliament voting</title>
          <link>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EUROPEAN_ELECTIONS?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;06&#45;08&#45;06&#45;48&#45;36</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Center-right parties hailed European Parliament election victories as a continent-wide vote for conservative approaches to the economic crisis and pledged Monday to forge ahead.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2009 07:14:52 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EUROPEAN_ELECTIONS?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;06&#45;08&#45;06&#45;48&#45;36#When:12:14:52Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Lebanon&#8217;s pro&#45;Western bloc turns back challenge from Hezbollah in elections</title>
          <link>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_LEBANON_ELECTIONS?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;06&#45;08&#45;06&#45;20&#45;30</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Lebanon&#8217;s Western-backed coalition declared it had retained control of parliament Monday after facing a serious challenge from the militant Hezbollah group and its allies.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2009 07:11:55 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_LEBANON_ELECTIONS?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;06&#45;08&#45;06&#45;20&#45;30#When:12:11:55Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>U.S. working to win release of journalists in N. Korea</title>
          <link>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_NKOREA_JOURNALISTS_HELD?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;06&#45;08&#45;06&#45;15&#45;42</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Obama administration is working &#8220;through all possible channels&#8221; to secure the release of two young women journalists sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in North Korea, the White House said Monday.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:27:49 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_NKOREA_JOURNALISTS_HELD?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;06&#45;08&#45;06&#45;15&#45;42#When:11:27:49Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>After Cairo speech, skepticism sets in</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAM06S_20090605-214803/272140/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A top Shiite cleric close to Hezbollah favorably contrasted President Barack Obama&#8217;s inviting language with his predecessor&#8217;s invading tanks&#8212;but also used a Friday sermon to pour contempt on the president&#8217;s mention of America&#8217;s strong ties with Israel. The view of Lebanon&#8217;s Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah reflected the ambivalence of many Muslims about Obama&#8217;s speech Thursday in Cairo.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:01:24 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAM06S_20090605-214803/272140/#When:05:01:24Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Text of President Barack Obama&#8217;s speech</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAM05SP_20090604-173201/271827/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Text of President Barack Obama&#8217;s speech at Cairo University, as provided by CQ Transcriptions. Good afternoon. I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand years, al-Azhar has, had stood as a beacon of Islamic learning. And for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt&#8217;s advancement. Together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:31:42 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAM05SP_20090604-173201/271827/#When:22:31:42Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama calls for new beginning between U.S., muslims</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;06&#45;04&#45;06&#45;18&#45;26</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
&#8220;This cycle of suspicion and discord must end,&#8220; Obama said in a widely anticipated speech in one of the world&#8217;s largest Muslim countries.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:25:24 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;06&#45;04&#45;06&#45;18&#45;26#When:11:25:24Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Organization of American States votes to readmit Cuba</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/organization_of_american_states_votes_to_readmit_cuba/271557/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Organization of American States announced Wednesday it has revoked a 1962 measure suspending communist Cuba, reversing a landmark of the Cold War in the hemisphere.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:38:29 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/organization_of_american_states_votes_to_readmit_cuba/271557/#When:20:38:29Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>To open a Muslim dialogue, Obama visits Saudi king</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;06&#45;03&#45;10&#45;22&#45;50</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama began his latest bid to open a dialogue with the Muslim world  by seeking the counsel of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, home to Islam&#8217;s two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:08:09 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;06&#45;03&#45;10&#45;22&#45;50#When:16:08:09Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Bin Laden threatens Americans in new tape</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/bin_laden_threatens_americans_in_new_tape/271540/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Osama bin Laden has threatened Americans in a new audio tape, saying President Barack Obama inflamed hatred toward the U.S. by ordering Pakistan to crack down on militants in Swat Valley and block Islamic law in the area.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:39:05 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/bin_laden_threatens_americans_in_new_tape/271540/#When:14:39:05Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Foreign minister says Israel does not intend to bomb Iran</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/foreign_minister_says_israel_does_not_intend_to_bomb_iran/271527/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Israel&#8217;s foreign minister says his country does not intend to bomb Iran.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:15:27 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/foreign_minister_says_israel_does_not_intend_to_bomb_iran/271527/#When:11:15:27Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Iraqi gets life sentence for aid worker&#8217;s kidnap death</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/iraqi_gets_life_sentence_for_aid_workers_kidnap_death/271351/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
An Iraqi man accused in the 2004 kidnapping and slaying of British aid worker Margaret Hassan has been sentenced to life in prison.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:11:42 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/iraqi_gets_life_sentence_for_aid_workers_kidnap_death/271351/#When:12:11:42Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Unpopular politicians face eggings in Czech Republic</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/EGGSGAT01_20090601-084804/271181/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
PRAGUE&#8212;Egg-throwing protesters have made a mess of the Czech Republic&#8217;s European election campaign. It all started two weeks ago when Lukas Botka, a 26-year-old activist, shelled Jiri Paroubek, chairman of the left-wing Social Democrats, at a rally in the town of Kolin. More than 43,000 people then joined a Facebook campaign titled &#8220;Eggs for Paroubek in every town!&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:48:04 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/EGGSGAT01_20090601-084804/271181/#When:13:48:04Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Biden in Lebanon ahead of key elections</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/BIDEGAT22_20090522-063804/269302/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
BEIRUT&#8212;Vice President Joe Biden came to Lebanon today to reinforce U.S. support for the government ahead of key parliamentary elections that could see a pro-Western majority ousted by a coalition led by the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. Biden is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Lebanon in more than 25 years and the second from the Obama administration in about a month, following in the footsteps of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The attention underscores Washington&#8217;s concerns about a possible win by Hezbollah, which the U.S. considers a terrorist group.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2009 06:38:04 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/BIDEGAT22_20090522-063804/269302/#When:11:38:04Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Former Israeli premier to undergo surgery in N.Y.</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/former_israeli_premier_to_undergo_surgery_in_n.y/269068/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will undergo prostate cancer surgery at a New York hospital next month.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2009 07:44:32 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/former_israeli_premier_to_undergo_surgery_in_n.y/269068/#When:12:44:32Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Iran says it tests missile, Israel within range</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/iran_says_it_tests_missile_israel_within_range/268799/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran test-fired a new advanced missile Wednesday with a range of about 1,200 miles, far enough to strike Israel and southeastern Europe.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2009 07:14:18 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/iran_says_it_tests_missile_israel_within_range/268799/#When:12:14:18Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Italian judge says CIA trial will continue</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/italian_judge_says_cia_trial_will_continue/268798/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The trial of 26 Americans and seven Italians accused of orchestrating a CIA-led kidnapping of an Egyptian terror suspect will continue, an Italian judge ruled Wednesday.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2009 07:09:59 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/italian_judge_says_cia_trial_will_continue/268798/#When:12:09:59Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Indonesian military plane crashes, at least 98 dead</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/indonesian_military_plane_crashes_at_least_98_dead/268794/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
MAGETAN, Indonesia &#8212; An Indonesian military plane carrying troops and their families crashed into a row of houses and burst into flames Wednesday, killing at least 98 people, the latest in a string of accidents plaguing the beleaguered air force.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2009 06:34:43 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/indonesian_military_plane_crashes_at_least_98_dead/268794/#When:11:34:43Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Bill Clinton named special UN envoy to Haiti</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/bill_clinton_to_be_special_un_envoy_to_haiti/268603/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The United Nations has named former President Bill Clinton as its special envoy to Haiti.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2009 06:12:28 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/bill_clinton_to_be_special_un_envoy_to_haiti/268603/#When:11:12:28Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Number of displaced in Pakistan swells to over 1.4 million</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/number_of_displaced_in_pakistan_swells_to_over_1.4_million/267918/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The U.N. refugee agency says more than 1.4 million people are now displaced by the fighting in northwestern Pakistan and numbers are likely to increase further.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2009 06:47:28 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/number_of_displaced_in_pakistan_swells_to_over_1.4_million/267918/#When:11:47:28Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>U.S. journalist Saberi happy to be out of Iranian jail</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/u.s._journalist_saberi_happy_to_be_out_of_iranian_jail/267256/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
 Roxana Saberi said she is very happy to be free and reunited with her parents and thanked those who helped win her release from an Iranian prison after she served four months on charges of spying.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2009 07:34:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/u.s._journalist_saberi_happy_to_be_out_of_iranian_jail/267256/#When:12:34:02Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Lawyer: U.S. reporter leaves jail in Iran</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/lawyer_iran_to_free_jailed_american_journalist1/267080/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A lawyer for a U.S. journalist jailed in Iran says she has been freed from prison after an appeals court suspended her eight-year jail sentence.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2009 07:37:14 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/lawyer_iran_to_free_jailed_american_journalist1/267080/#When:12:37:14Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Pope in Israel calls for Palestinian homeland</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/pope_in_israel_calls_for_palestinian_homeland/267075/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
 Pope Benedict XVI called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian homeland immediately after he arrived in Israel today.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2009 06:39:11 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/pope_in_israel_calls_for_palestinian_homeland/267075/#When:11:39:11Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Pope arrives in Jordan for start of Middle East tour</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/pope_arrives_in_jordan_for_start_of_middle_east_tour/266558/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Pope Benedict XVI says he hopes the Catholic church can play a role in the Middle East peace process.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2009 08:02:03 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/pope_arrives_in_jordan_for_start_of_middle_east_tour/266558/#When:13:02:03Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Pakistan declares war on Taliban</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/PAKS08_20090507-223408/266525/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
ISLAMABAD - The government of Pakistan yesterday declared war on Taliban extremists and called upon citizens to unite behind the country&#8217;s armed forces. In a defining moment for the country and one that will have far-reaching consequences for global security, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on national television that Pakistan had &#8220;reached a stage where the government believes that decisive steps have to be taken.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2009 00:01:28 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/PAKS08_20090507-223408/266525/#When:05:01:28Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Britain ends combat operations in Iraq</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/britain_ends_combat_operations_in_iraq/264851/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
British troops have ended six years of combat operations in Iraq, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced today, praising his military&#8217;s accomplishments and sacrifices in a mission that was not popular at home.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:49:55 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/britain_ends_combat_operations_in_iraq/264851/#When:11:49:55Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Five lawmakers among those arrested in Darfur protest in Washington</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/five_lawmakers_among_those_arrested_in_darfur_protest_in_washington/264227/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
 Eight activists including five members of Congress protesting the expulsion of aid groups in Darfur were arrested today in front of the Sudanese Embassy in Washington.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:18:40 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/five_lawmakers_among_those_arrested_in_darfur_protest_in_washington/264227/#When:17:18:40Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>UN says civilian death toll in Sri Lanka reaches nearly 6,500</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/un_says_civilian_death_toll_in_sri_lanka_reaches_nearly_6500/263627/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Indian officials took a demand for an immediate cease-fire in Sri Lanka&#8217;s civil war to the country&#8217;s president as the U.N. reported that nearly 6,500 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed in the last three months.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:09:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/un_says_civilian_death_toll_in_sri_lanka_reaches_nearly_6500/263627/#When:13:09:02Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama in Baghdad, tells troops Iraq must take over</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_OBAMA_IRAQ?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;04&#45;07&#45;10&#45;04&#45;57</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
On a trip shrouded in secrecy, President Barack Obama flew into Iraq on Tuesday for a brief look at a war he opposed as a candidate and now vows to end as commander in chief.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:13:59 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_OBAMA_IRAQ?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;04&#45;07&#45;10&#45;04&#45;57#When:15:13:59Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama reaches out to Muslims</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAM07_20090406-213414/250383/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
ANKARA, Turkey&#8212;Declaring the U.S. &#8220;is not and never will be at war with Islam,&#8220; President Barack Obama worked yesterday to mend frayed ties with NATO ally Turkey and improve relations with the larger Muslim world. Obama acknowledged tensions over the Iraq war but said Muslims worldwide have little in common with terrorists such as al-Qaida and have much to gain in opposing them.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:01:22 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAM07_20090406-213414/250383/#When:05:01:22Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama hails Afghan help</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAM05_20090404-212805/249138/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
NATO allies handed President Barack Obama a broad endorsement of his new Afghanistan strategy yesterday. In Strasbourg, France, Obama hailed &#8220;strong and unanimous support&#8221; from NATO allies for his stepped-up anti-terror strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan and welcomed their &#8220;down payment&#8221; promises of 5,000 fresh forces. Limited support: The promises, at a two-day summit marking NATO&#8217;s 60th anniversary, constituted a sweeping demonstration of friendship and support for the new administration&#8217;s leadership in what has become the alliance&#8217;s main mission of the moment. But they dramatized anew that European leaders remain unwilling to make major commitments of troops to fight and perhaps die in a far-off land in a war that is widely unpopular among their voters. NATO allies agreed to send more military trainers and police to Afghanistan, including forces to help protect candidates and voters at upcoming elections.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 05 Apr 2009 00:01:54 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAM05_20090404-212805/249138/#When:05:01:54Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama gets little NATO aid for Afghanistan</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/NATO04_20090403-213807/248628/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
On the eve of the NATO summit, President Barack Obama didn&#8217;t get what he wanted most from U.S. allies: significant new commitments of combat troops for Afghanistan. Faced with stiff public opposition to war, reluctant European leaders yesterday offered only limited aid for civilians and some troops to help train Afghan police and soldiers.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:01:15 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/NATO04_20090403-213807/248628/#When:05:01:15Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama courts Europe</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAM04_20090403-213807/248630/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Courting Europe with an American-style campaign, President Barack Obama yesterday talked up his plans&#8212;popular here&#8212;to eliminate nuclear weapons, close the Guantanamo Bay prison, and tackle global warming. At a basketball arena in Strasbourg, Obama held a campaign-style &#8220;town hall&#8221; in which he fielded questions from young French and German men and women.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:01:07 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAM04_20090403-213807/248630/#When:05:01:07Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Inside the G&#45;20: A look at who&#8217;s there</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/inside_the_g-20_a_look_at_whos_there/247168/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Group of 20 economic summit gets under way this morning in London.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:30:57 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/inside_the_g-20_a_look_at_whos_there/247168/#When:13:30:57Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama, S. Korean leader say global response needed if N. Korea launches rocket</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/obama_s._korean_leader_say_global_response_needed_if_n._korea_launches_rock/247111/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama and his South Korean counterpart agreed today on the need for a &#8220;stern, united&#8221; international response if North Korea goes ahead with a planned rocket launch, according to South Korean officials.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2009 06:30:25 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/obama_s._korean_leader_say_global_response_needed_if_n._korea_launches_rock/247111/#When:11:30:25Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>G&#45;20 leaders get to work at  London summit</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/g-20_leaders_get_to_work_at_london_summit/247109/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Leaders of the world&#8217;s rich and major developing countries today began talks aimed at agreeing a new deal on the global economy at a crisis summit in London, hoping to clear up divisions over how far to go with tougher financial regulation.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2009 06:06:07 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/g-20_leaders_get_to_work_at_london_summit/247109/#When:11:06:07Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>G&#45;20 protesters break into Royal Bank of Scotland</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/windows_smashed_bank_entered_at_g-20_protest/246046/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
4,000 protesters clog the streets of London&#8217;s financial districts; protests minor compared to World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle in 1999.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:12:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/windows_smashed_bank_entered_at_g-20_protest/246046/#When:14:12:02Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Royal welcome awaits president, first lady</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/royal_welcome_awaits_president_first_lady/245986/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama says he is looking forward to meeting Queen Elizabeth II and hails what he calls an &#8220;extraordinary affinity and kinship&#8221; between the people of the United States and Britain.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2009 06:29:47 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/royal_welcome_awaits_president_first_lady/245986/#When:11:29:47Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama, Brown say G&#45;20 deal will fight recession</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_OBAMA?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;04&#45;01&#45;05&#45;49&#45;52</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
LONDON (AP)&#8212;He talked nuclear threats with Russia&#8217;s president and gave an iPod to the queen. And that was only the beginning.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2009 05:59:56 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_OBAMA?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;04&#45;01&#45;05&#45;49&#45;52#When:10:59:56Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>British minister apologizes for adult&#45;movie expense claim</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/british_minister_apologizes_for_adult-movie_expense_claim/243705/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Britain&#8217;s Home Secretary apologized Sunday for claiming on parliamentary expenses for the cost of five movies &#8212; including two adult ones &#8212; screened at her home.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 29 Mar 2009 11:25:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/british_minister_apologizes_for_adult-movie_expense_claim/243705/#When:16:25:02Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>EU official says U.S. economic plans &#8216;a way to hell&#8217;</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/EUGAT25_20090325-064602/240341/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
STRASBOURG, France&#8212;The Czech head of the European Union presidency says the U.S. economic rescue plans are &#8220;a way to hell.&#8220; Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek says the Obama administration&#8217;s stimulus package and financial bailout &#8220;will undermine the stability of the global financial market.&#8220; One day after he offered the resignation of his government, Topolanek took the EU presidency on a collision course with Washington over the economic options to solve the world economic crisis. Many EU nations favor regulation over more bailout efforts.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:46:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/EUGAT25_20090325-064602/240341/#When:11:46:02Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Pakistan to restore chief justice</title>
          <link>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_PAKISTAN?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;03&#45;16&#45;00&#45;15&#45;32</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
ISLAMABAD (AP)&#8212;Pakistan agreed Monday to reinstate a fired Supreme Court chief justice, a move that will help defuse a political crisis that has sparked street battles and raised fears of instability in the U.S.-allied country at a time of surging Islamist violence.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:22:12 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_PAKISTAN?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;03&#45;16&#45;00&#45;15&#45;32#When:05:22:12Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Doctors Without Borders staffers kidnapped in Darfur</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/doctors_without_borders_staffers_kidnapped_in_darfur/229682/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A spokesman for Doctors Without Borders&#8217; Belgian office says five of its staff have been kidnapped in Darfur.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2009 05:52:42 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/doctors_without_borders_staffers_kidnapped_in_darfur/229682/#When:10:52:42Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Iraqi who threw shoes at Bush gets three&#45;year sentence</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/iraqi_who_threw_shoes_at_bush_gets_three-year_sentence/229681/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The attorney for an Iraqi journalist who threw shoes at then-President George W. Bush says his client has been sentenced to three years in prison for assaulting a foreign leader.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2009 05:48:14 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/iraqi_who_threw_shoes_at_bush_gets_three-year_sentence/229681/#When:10:48:14Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Dalai Lama blasts &#8216;brutal crackdown&#8217; in Tibet</title>
          <link>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDIA_TIBET?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;03&#45;10&#45;06&#45;02&#45;19</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
China has overseen a &#8220;brutal crackdown&#8221; in Tibet since protests shook the Himalayan region last year, part of decades of Chinese oppression that have driven Tibetan culture to the verge of extinction, the Dalai Lama said today.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:13:32 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDIA_TIBET?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;03&#45;10&#45;06&#45;02&#45;19#When:11:13:32Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama reportedly sets 2010 as Iraq withdrawal date</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAMGAT27_20090227-062404/217373/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;A &#8220;substantial&#8221; number of the roughly 100,000 U.S. combat troops to be pulled out of Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010, will remain in the war zone until at least December to ensure national elections there go smoothly, senior Obama administration officials say. That pacing, The Associated Press reported this morning, suggests that although Obama&#8217;s promised withdrawal will start soon, it will be backloaded, with larger numbers of troops returning later in the 18-month time frame.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:24:05 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/OBAMGAT27_20090227-062404/217373/#When:11:24:05Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Peres picks Netanyahu to form new Israeli government</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/peres_picks_netanyahu_to_form_new_israeli_government/211445/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Israeli President Shimon Peres chose hard-line Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu today to form a new Israeli government, giving Netanyahu six weeks to cobble together a coalition.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:42:29 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/peres_picks_netanyahu_to_form_new_israeli_government/211445/#When:12:42:29Z</guid>
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          <title>U.S. allies in Iraq see gain</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/IRAQ02_20090201-222813/195585/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Allies of Iraq&#8217;s U.S.-backed prime minister appeared yesterday to have made gains in the provincial elections, according to unofficial projections. Groups credited with reining in insurgents and militias were said to be making gains. Initial results from Saturday&#8217;s landmark voting are not expected for days. But reports by Iraqi media and interviews by The Associated Press suggest candidates backing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had strong showings in the crucial Shiite heartland in southern Iraq.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:01:43 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/IRAQ02_20090201-222813/195585/#When:05:01:43Z</guid>
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          <title>Bush making farewell calls to world leaders</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/BUSHGAT19_20090119-090222/182218/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;On the day before leaving office, President Bush talked by phone today with a number of world leaders he has worked with during the past eight years. The White House says Bush chatted with the leaders of Georgia, Russia, South Korea, Denmark and Italy. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe says that during the farewell calls, Bush thanked the leaders for the hospitality they had shown him and first lady Laura Bush over the years.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2009 09:02:24 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/BUSHGAT19_20090119-090222/182218/#When:14:02:24Z</guid>
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          <title>Israel declares truce; Hamas vows to fight on</title>
          <link>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_ISRAEL_PALESTINIANS?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;01&#45;17&#45;23&#45;23&#45;12</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Israel declared a unilateral halt yesterday to its devastating three-week-old military campaign in the Gaza Strip, but prospects for renewed calm were cast in doubt by Hamas leaders who vowed to keep fighting. After 22 days of punishing strikes that have killed more than 1,200 Palestinians, a third of them children, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared that the Hamas rulers in the Gaza Strip had been dealt a decisive blow.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:01:42 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_ISRAEL_PALESTINIANS?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;01&#45;17&#45;23&#45;23&#45;12#When:05:01:42Z</guid>
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          <title>Iraq approves security pact</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/IRAQ051_20081204-225404/140601/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A security pact with a timetable for pulling U.S. forces from Iraq won final government approval yesterday.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:01:10 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/IRAQ051_20081204-225404/140601/#When:05:01:10Z</guid>
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          <title>Mediators bid to salvage peace talks</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/PALE09_20081108-205912/115026/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Mideast mediators meet today in a bid to preserve U.S.-backed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks despite their looming failure to produce a deal by year&#8217;s end. With no agreement in sight after nearly 12 months of negotiations, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will press the two sides and fellow mediators to reaffirm their commitment to the peace process even after the end-of-the-Bush-administration deadline for a pact passes.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 09 Nov 2008 01:01:00 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/PALE09_20081108-205912/115026/#When:06:01:00Z</guid>
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          <title>Conservative wins vote in New Zealand</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/ZEAL09_20081108-202926/115010/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
New Zealanders chose a conservative former financier yesterday to help navigate the country through the global financial meltdown, handing long-serving left-wing Prime Minister Helen Clark a crushing election defeat. John Key, 47, leader of the conservative National Party, swept easily to power in this South Pacific country of 4.1 million people, ousting Clark&#8217;s Labour Party after 9 years in office.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 09 Nov 2008 01:01:00 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/ZEAL09_20081108-202926/115010/#When:06:01:00Z</guid>
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          <title>Group to hear ambassador, honor Robb</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/WAFF25_20081024-213305/111694/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Two special events are in store for the World Affairs Council of Greater Richmond. Pierre Vimont, France&#8217;s ambassador to the United States, will speak at a special lunch Oct. 31. Charles S. Robb, former Virginia governor and U.S. senator, and John Adams, chairman and CEO of the Martin Agency, will be honored at the organization&#8217;s annual dinner Nov. 12.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:01:24 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/WAFF25_20081024-213305/111694/#When:05:01:24Z</guid>
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          <title>Bush endorses NATO expansion</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/NATO25_20081024-212121/111635/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Bush signed papers yesterday to formally declare U.S. support of NATO membership for Albania and Croatia&#8212;two countries that he said were once in the &#8220;shackles of communism.&#8220; At a White House ceremony, Bush signed accession protocols that moved the two Balkan countries one step closer to membership in the expanding military alliance.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:01:08 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/world/world_govtpolitics/article/NATO25_20081024-212121/111635/#When:05:01:08Z</guid>
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