Yuan debate overcomes Boao boredom factor

China's President Hu Jintao travels to Washington this week to attend the nuclear summit.On the southern Chinese island of Hainan, where 2,000 business leaders, senior politicians and academics have been meeting, the consensus was that his decision...

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Are cracks emerging in Thailand's military?

When a prime minister needs to hold a special TV broadcast to assure watchers that his government is united and in control, it is often the opposite message that is conveyed.Far from celebrating Songkran, the Thai New Year, Thailand's top generals...

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'World needs a barometer of life'

The world needs a "barometer of life" to prevent ecosystems and species being lost forever, scientists have warned.Existing schemes, they said, did not include enough species from groups such as fungi and invertebrates to provide a detailed picture...

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Rio Tinto joins BHP and Vale to end annual ore pricing

Rio Tinto has followed rival mining firms and says it is negotiating new iron ore supply contracts priced for three months rather than a year.The move ends years of tradition and is seen as a demonstration of the power the miners have over their ...

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Pret a Manger plans more shop openings as sales rise

Sandwich and salads chain Pret a Manger has reported rising sales and said it plans to open a record number of new outlets this year.Its comments came as it reported a 12% rise in overall sales for 2009. When sales from new stores were excluded, ...

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Dorset's fierce political battleground

The land of Thomas Hardy is blessed with a wonderful climate and beautiful countryside.Two good reasons so many people like to move there to retire. But Dorset is about a lot more than pensioners and agriculture - it is a land of fierce battles and...

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Conservatives outline £12bn public sector savings plan

The Tories have outlined for the first time how public spending could be cut by £12bn - to help fund their pledge to curb the rise in National Insurance.Tory adviser Sir Peter Gershon said spending on IT projects, office costs, contracts and recruitment...

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Al-Qaeda in Iraq group claims embassy bombings

A militant group linked to al-Qaeda in Iraq has said it was behind Sunday's triple bombings in Baghdad which killed 40 people near foreign embassies.Islamic State of Iraq said in a statement posted on the internet that it had attacked the Iranian,...

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South Africa police deploy for Terreblanche funeral

A major security operation has been mounted for the funeral of white supremacist Eugene Terreblanche, who was killed on his farm on Sunday.Several police and army units have been deployed to prevent possible clashes between supporters of Terreblanche...

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Ridley Scott's Robin Hood to open Cannes

British director Ridley Scott's new film Robin Hood, starring Russell Crowe, has been selected to open the annual Cannes Film Festival in May.The film, about the birth of the Robin Hood legend, also stars Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian, and William...

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Russian appeal of 'weather control'

Standing by an open hatch on a Russian military plane high up in the sky is tricky.All the more so when your job is to "seed" clouds, shovelling chemicals outside to cause rain. These seeded clouds never make it to Moscow, where millions are enjoying...

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Google's rift with China is a calculated business risk

Google's move into China four years ago was billed by some people as a battle between the irresistible force and the immovable object.The inexorable expansion of the internet - epitomised by Google - would never exist happily in a command economy...

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Multiple Choice Question

Celebrities like to out-do each other in the strange-name stakes. Actor Nicholas Cage has a child named Kal-El, after the birth name of which comic book charac...

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Your pictures of the week: Lazy

Here's our weekly look at your pictures and this time we asked you for photographs on the theme of being lazy.We received more than 250 entries this week, so once again I offer my thanks to all of you who submitted work.You can see the ones I have selected...

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US schools grapple with gay rights at the school prom

When officials at a small high school in rural Mississippi cancelled the annual prom, little did they know they would trigger a passionate national debate.For many American teenagers, the high-school prom is a rite of passage on the path to adulthood....

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'Pirate' death puts spotlight on 'guns for hire'

The death of a suspected pirate off the coast of Somalia has drawn attention to the use of armed private security contractors on board merchant vessels.The incident, which involved guards aboard the Panamanian-flagged MV Almezaan, is believed to be the...

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The hospital of the future

Norman Foster, the man whose practice brought us the Gherkin, Beijing Airport, and the Great Court at the British Museum has until now had nothing to do with healthcare.That has all changed, however, as his first hospital opens amid bold claims that...

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Late blooming daffodils spark web appeal in Cumbria

Tourism chiefs in Cumbria are encouraging people to "tweet" online should they spot a blooming daffodil in the Lake District.The daffodils, made famous by William Wordsworth, are more than a month late this year following the cold winter. One of...

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US plans to give high-speed broadband to every American

US regulators have unveiled the nation's first plan to give every American super-fast broadband by 2020.The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which will now submit the plan to Congress, said broadband was the "greatest infrastructure challenge"....

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Japan aims its home fuel cells at Europe

Following the success of a half-price subsidy for CO2-busting fuel-cell heat and energy generators for homes, Japan is now poised to ship its attention to supplying the UK and Germany with this hi-tech next-generation energy source.With over 5,000...

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Hollywood plans turkey tale movie

The story of a woman who was stranded by snow for a month after she popped out to buy a Christmas turkey could be made into a Hollywood film.A company has bought the rights to the story of Kay Ure, who lives with husband John in Cape Wrath, in the...

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Divide Nigeria in two, says Muammar Gaddafi

Nigeria should be divided into two nations to avoid further bloodshed between Muslims and Christians, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has said.In a speech to students, he praised the example of India and Pakistan, where he said partition saved many...

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US sends FBI agents to investigate Mexico killings

American FBI agents have been sent to the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez to investigate the deaths of three US citizens.Three people connected to the consulate were killed in drive-by shootings on Saturday in two separate incidents. The US...

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