 | 2008 JULY
July 25, 2008
Thousands Stampede for Last of Olympics Tickets
Scuffles broke out Friday as nearly 50,000 people who had waited up to two days for the final batch of tickets to next month's Olympic Games swarmed sales windows in Beijing.
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| July 25, 2008
China Prepares for Olympics
With just two weeks to go to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, China is pushing to clean up air pollution in Beijing and show its political tolerance by allowing protest zones around the city. Scott Tong, who is based in Shanghai, takes your questions about the country's preparations for the games.
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| July 23, 2008
China to Set up Olympic Protest Zones
The Chinese government will set aside three protest zones in city parks during the Olympic Games, Chinese officials said Wednesday.
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| July 21, 2008
Bombings Stoke Terrorism Fears before Olympics
Explosions rocked at least two buses in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming on Monday, local media report, killing at least two people and injuring another 14 as the country attempts to tighten security ahead of next month's Beijing Olympics.
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| July 17, 2008
Air Raid Kills 15 Insurgents in Afghanistan
Airstrikes coordinated by U.S. special forces and Afghan troops against militants in western Afghanistan killed 15 insurgents and freed 15 hostages Thursday, officials said.
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| July 15, 2008
Myanmar's Rice Crop Takes a Hit After Cyclone
The prospect of a meager rice crop threatens to add to Myanmar's travails from May's cyclone that left tens of thousands dead. Much of the country's rice fields are in the now-swamped Irrawaddy delta.
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| July 14, 2008
In Afghanistan, Troop Deaths Highlight Instability
On Sunday, Taliban militants waged the deadliest assault on U.S. and NATO troops in three years, highlighting the challenge of the ongoing armed conflict. A New York Times Magazine reporter and a counter-insurgency expert measure the complexity of the conflict.
     
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| July 11, 2008
Afghan Legal Reforms Run Afoul of Tribal Codes, Corruption
Afghanistan's central government has worked to improve its legal system for years, but tribal justice traditions, especially in rural areas, and corruption from within are proving to be significant hurdles.
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| July 7, 2008
41 Killed in Indian Embassy Bombing in Kabul
A suicide bomber ignited a car bomb Monday outside India's embassy in Afghanistan, killing 41 and injuring 139. The casualties included an Indian defense attache, a diplomat as well as two embassy guards and six Afghan police officers.
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| July 4, 2008
U.S. Attack Kills 22 Civilians, Local Officials Claim
A U.S.-led airstrike killed 22 civilians in Afghanistan's eastern Nuristan province local officials said on Friday. American officials said the targets had been insurgents attacking their soldiers.
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| July 2, 2008
Antiquities Exhibit Illuminates Ancient Afghan Trading
A museum exhibit of ancient Afghan art demonstrates the country's rich and diverse culture. Jeffrey Brown visits the relics that have survived the tumult of recent history in Afghanistan.
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| July 1, 2008
China, Tibetan Envoys Open New Round of Talks
Envoys of Tibet's exiled government met with Chinese officials in Beijing on Tuesday in the second round of informal talks over the disputed region of Tibet, an area governed by China since the 1950s that was the site of violent protests in March.
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| JUNE
June 30, 2008
WFP Reaches Deal to Expand Food Aid to North Korea as U.S. Wheat Arrives
In a rare move, North Korea granted international aid workers from the United Nations' Word Food Program more access to expand efforts to ease a growing food crisis as the first U.S. ship filled with wheat arrived in a port near Pyongyang.
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| June 27, 2008
Resurgent Taliban May Step Up Attacks, Pentagon Says
A report released by the Pentagon Friday showed growing instability in Afghanistan and a continuing rise in Taliban forces. A reporter and a regional expert size up new security threats and discuss the new report.
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| June 27, 2008
N. Korea Destroys Plutonium-producing Reactor
North Korea demolished the cooling tower at its plutonium-producing reactor Friday, blasting apart the cylindrical structure in Yongbyon as a sign of its commitment to stop making plutonium for atomic bombs.
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| June 26, 2008
White House Removes North Korea From Terrorist List
President Bush eased trade restrictions against North Korea Thursday and removed it from a terrorism sponsor list after the country gave Chinese officials a partial accounting of its nuclear activity. Analysts examine this policy shift.
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| June 26, 2008
North Korea Delivers Nuclear Report; U.S. to Lift Sanctions
North Korea handed over a long-awaited accounting of its nuclear work to Chinese officials Thursday, fulfilling a key step in the denuclearization process.
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| June 20, 2008
Beijing to Impose Odd-Even Car Ban During Olympics
From July 20 to Sept. 20, Beijing will alternate the days that vehicles with even and odd registration numbers will be allowed on the road in order to reduce traffic and air pollution during the Olympic Games.
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| June 18, 2008
NATO, Afghan Troops Clash With Taliban Fighters
Afghan and NATO forces, backed by helicopter gunships, moved into villages outside Kandahar on Wednesday, killing at least 36 suspected Taliban fighters as part of an assault on insurgents holed up in the valley in southern Afghanistan.
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| June 12, 2008
Donors Pledge $15 Billion for Afghan Rebuilding
The international community pledged more than $15 billion in aid to Afghanistan at a donors' conference in Paris Thursday, while Afghan President Hamid Karzai promised to fight corruption that has hindered past aid efforts.
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| June 11, 2008
Parents Blame Poor Government Oversight for Childrens' Deaths in China Quake
The government of China fears a popular movement of parents of children killed by collapsing schools in the recent earthquake in Sichuan Province. Lindsey Hilsum of ITN's Channel 4 News reports on the outcry over perceived government corruption that led to shoddy construction and the parent's plea for accountability.
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| June 11, 2008
Protests Against Government, U.S. Imports Sweep South Korea
More than 100,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Seoul to protest a proposed deal allowing U.S. beef imports and taking to task the teetering government of President Lee Myung-bak. A regional expert explores the core issues behind the protests.
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| June 11, 2008
Pakistan Says U.S. Coalition Forces Killed 11 Troops
Pakistan's army said Wednesday that a U.S.-led coalition airstrike along the volatile Afghan-Pakistan border killed 11 of its paramilitary troops, condemning it as an act of aggression that "hit at the very basis of cooperation" on the war on terror.
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| June 10, 2008
China Contains Overflowing Quake-Formed Lake
China declared success Tuesday in preventing a lake -- formed by landslides from the massive May 12 earthquake -- from overflowing its banks and flooding downstream communities.
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| June 9, 2008
Attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan Highlight Instability
The newly elected government in Pakistan is being confronted with a rise in insurgent attacks and a Taliban that is increasing in strength along the volatile Afghan border. Two experts discuss the latest outbreaks of violence.
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| June 9, 2008
Military Buildup Seen as Boom, Test for Tiny Island of Guam
In the next six years, the population of Guam is expected to explode by 25 percent as the American military redploys thousands of its forces to the tiny Pacific Ocean island. The more than $15 billion project is expected to fuel the economy, but also threatens to strain its infrastructure and threaten its tourism industry.
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| June 6, 2008
Myanmar Cyclone Victims Face Continued Hardships
A month has passed since Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar and, in the interim, international aid groups negotiated with the country's reclusive military regime for better access to the stricken country. ITN's Channel 4 News correspondent Inigo Gilmore provides an update.
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| June 4, 2008
U.S. Navy Ships to Leave Myanmar Without Delivering Aid
Four U.S. Navy ships will leave the Myanmar coast Thursday, after failing to receive permission from the Burmese government to unload aid supplies for survivors of Cyclone Nargis, including much-needed helicopters to transport food and other aid.
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| MAY
May 30, 2008
Growing Internet Use in China Reflects Changing Society
Last month, China passed the United States in the number of people online. The growing Internet use has given the Chinese a chance to see how the rest of the world views them, and is helping shape the attitudes of younger generations. Margaret Warner reports from China.
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| May 30, 2008
Extended Interview: Google China President Kai-Fu Lee
As part of a reporting trip to China in May, Margaret Warner spoke with Kai-Fu Lee, a Chinese-American who's president of Google China, about the gap in perceptions that exists between Chinese and Americans.
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| May 30, 2008
Extended Interview: Former Ambassador Wu Jianmin
While reporting in China in May, Margaret Warner spoke with Wu Jianmin, China's former ambassador to France, now professor at China Foreign Affairs University, about the state of freedom in his country today. He begins by talking about the gap in understanding between China and the world.
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| May 30, 2008
Extended Interview: Magazine Editor Hung Huang
While reporting in China in May, Margaret Warner spoke to Hung Huang, CEO of China Interactive Media Group and editor of the lifestyle magazine iLook, about the state of media freedom in China today.
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| May 30, 2008
Myanmar Cyclone Refugees Forced Out of Camps
Myanmar's military government started evicting families from cyclone refugee camps on Friday, sending them to rebuild lives with bamboo poles and tarps.
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| May 29, 2008
In China, an Evolving Effort to Establish a Place on World Stage
The devastating quake in China and the government's response and transparency seem to have altered views both inside and outside the country. Margaret Warner speaks with Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei about the changes within China.
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| May 28, 2008
Myanmar's Government Slowly Opens to Foreign Aid
Weeks after Cyclone Nargis devastated portions of Myanmar, its reclusive government has slowly allowed small numbers of foreign aid workers to enter the country. U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes updates the humanitarian situation.
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| May 28, 2008
Modernizing China Confronts Environmental Woes
Since undertaking market reforms in late 1970s, China has enjoyed an economic boom -- but the economic progress has also produced serious environmental damage and pollution problems. Margaret Warner reports on China's environmental woes and their impact on the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.
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| May 27, 2008
After Quake, China Faces Daunting Reconstruction Challenges
Following the cessation of rescue and recovery efforts, quake-struck Sichuan province begins the arduous task of rebuilding. Margaret Warner reports from China on the quake's aftermath and Beijing's preparations for the Olympics.
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| May 27, 2008
Chinese Officials Evacuate 80,000 in Path of Dam
Chinese officials pushed Tuesday to evacuate another 80,000 people in the potential flood zone of a dangerous dam created by landslides and debris from the May 12 earthquake and aftershocks.
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| May 26, 2008
Earthquake Recovery Tempers China's Olympics Elation
In preparing for the Olympic Games, the Chinese government has faced unexpected challenges, including a devastating earthquake and protests over its rule of Tibet. Margaret Warner reports from China about the quake's impacts on the Beijing Olympic plans.
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| May 26, 2008
China Aftershock Kills 8, Destroys 70,000 Homes
A powerful aftershock killed eight people and destroyed 70,000 homes in China's Sichuan province Sunday, amid continued disaster relief efforts from the initial deadly May 12 quake.
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| May 23, 2008
Myanmar OKs Greater Access for Aid Workers but Obstacles Remain
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said Friday that Myanmar's ruling junta had agreed to allow "all aid workers" into the cyclone-ravaged country -- although questions remain as to the timing and logistics of such access. Two aid officials discuss the state of relief efforts.
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| May 23, 2008
U.N. Chief Says Myanmar to Allow in Aid Workers
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday that Myanmar's ruling junta had agreed to allow "all aid workers" into the cyclone-ravaged country -- although questions remain as to the timing and logistics of such access.
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| May 22, 2008
Death Toll from China Quake Could Reach 80,000
More than 80,000 people are estimated dead or missing 10 days after the 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan province in central China, the government said Thursday, as fears rose that disease, rainy weather and aftershocks could stir more problems.
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| May 22, 2008
Nixon's 1972 Historic Trip to China
Marking a turnaround in U.S. policy, President Nixon visited China in 1972 -- the first time a U.S. president had visited the communist nation -- paving the way to normalizing diplomatic relations.
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| May 22, 2008
U.N. Head Visits Myanmar to Coax Aid Effort
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived Thursday in cyclone-damaged Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, to meet with Senior Gen. Than Shwe in hopes of convincing the stringent military junta to loosen restrictions on international aid.
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| May 20, 2008
Scenes of Rubble, Grief, Worry in China Quake Zone
A week after the devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Southwest China, the death toll climbed near 40,000, with estimates that some 50,000 others could be dead. Rescuers are still sifting through collapsed schools and offices in hopes of finding more survivors, but their rescue missions are becoming recovery operations.
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| May 20, 2008
China Raises Death Toll, Struggles to Aid Homeless
China raised the confirmed death toll from last week's earthquake in the Sichuan province to more than 40,000 Tuesday, with another 30,000 people still missing, as officials grappled to find shelter for some of the 5 million people displaced.
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| May 19, 2008
Myanmar Allows U.N. Officials to Tour Hard-hit Areas
U.N. officials began to tour the cyclone-devastated Irrawaddy delta in Myanmar on Monday, though some U.N. staffers still reported problems gaining access to the tightly controlled country. A senior U.S. diplomat in Rangoon, also known as Yangon, provides an update.
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| May 19, 2008
As China Mourns, Government Navigates Quake's Aftermath
China paused for three minutes of silence Monday to remember victims of last week's earthquake and to begin three days of mourning. Margaret Warner reports from Beijing and Shanghai on how both the government and Chinese citizens are handling the crisis.
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| May 19, 2008
China Mourns Quake Victims as Rescues Ebb
China begins three days of mourning Monday as millions of Chinese pause from their daily lives to remember victims of the May 12 earthquake as well as offer aid to those who must now rebuild their lives.
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| May 19, 2008
Workers Killed as China Mourns Quake Victims
More than 200 workers repairing quake-shattered roads in China's Sichuan province were buried over the past three days by mudslides, state media reported Monday as millions of Chinese people paused to mark the first week since the deadly quake.
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| May 16, 2008
Aid Efforts Continue as China's Quake Toll Rises
The Chinese government revised the estimated death toll from the massive May 12 earthquake in Sichuan Province to 50,000, as cleanup and rescue efforts continued.
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| May 16, 2008
U.N. Chief Details Diplomatic Efforts on Myanmar Crisis
Two major natural disasters have hit Myanmar and China in as many weeks. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discusses the two crises, and diplomatic efforts to get the Myanmar government to quicken its pace of allowing in foreign assistance.
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| May 16, 2008
Olympics Mark China's 'Coming of Age'
China's hosting of the 2008 Summer Olympics thrust the Asian nation into the international spotlight and is viewed by many inside the country as a way to showcase how far the communist regime has come in opening up to the world over the past few decades.
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| May 16, 2008
Olympics Highlight Press Curbs in China
Though the Chinese have made efforts to increase press freedoms for foreign journalists covering the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, reporters are still expecting to encounter some challenges based on long-standing restrictions and mentalities.
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| May 16, 2008
Beijing Pollution Poses Challenge to Olympic Athletes
Athletes participating in the Beijing Olympics this summer could face a troubling combination of polluted air and hot, humid weather conditions if the Chinese government is not able to clear the skies in time for the games.
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| May 16, 2008
Tibet Tests China's Movement on Human Rights
When China bested four other finalists to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, the win brought a new global status but also renewed scrutiny on its handling of free speech and human rights, particularly in the area of Tibet.
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| May 16, 2008
Olympic Stadiums Around the Globe
As the clock ticks down to the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, two scholars look back at the stories surrounding Olympic stadiums around the world, from the Berlin facility that survived the bombings of World War II to Athens' sky-high infrastructure costs in 2004.
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| May 16, 2008
Interactive: Compare Life in Olympic Host Cities
Wonder how much a movie ticket costs in Seoul? Or a taxi ride in Athens? Compare some facts and figures about current day-to-day life in these seven summer Olympic host cities.
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| May 16, 2008
Examining Myanmar's Military Regime
The military government in Myanmar, the country also known as Burma, has been under close scrutiny in recent days as it has resisted allowing international aid workers in the country to assist after a deadly cyclone. Two experts answered your questions on Myanmar's military government.
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| May 16, 2008
More Rain Threatens Cyclone Victims' Well-Being
Survivors of the cyclone that ravaged Myanmar's Irrawaddy delta have received little emergency aid from the country's ruling military junta, though government officials insist their relief operations are running smoothly.
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| May 15, 2008
Rescue, Recovery Continue in China Quake Zone
Rescue efforts continue around the clock in China, and as the full scope of the disaster is becoming clear, the government in Beijing warns that the death toll could pass 50,000.
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| May 15, 2008
Death Toll in China Quake Could Soar to 50,000
China said the death toll of the 7.9 magnitude quake that ravaged the country's central Sichuan Province on Monday could reach 50,000 as the government made a rare appeal to its citizens to help the rescue operation.
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| May 14, 2008
For Indiana Community, Myanmar's Cyclone Crisis Hits Home
Fort Wayne, Ind., is home to one of the largest Myanmar immigrant communities in the United States. Elizabeth Brackett reports on the community's unique perspective on the handling of the humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of the cyclone that devastated the country.
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| May 14, 2008
Quake Is Formidable Challenge to China's Government
Rescue and relief efforts continue in China as the death toll from Monday's 7.9-magnitude earthquake neared 15,000 and is expected to rise, with tens of thousands still buried in rubble. An analyst examines how the country and its government have handled the disaster.
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