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06 Mar 2011 10:54

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World: Libya: Pro-Gaddafi troops’ gains cheered, then disputed

  • Today, there was celebration in Tripoli by pro-Gaddafi supporters who heard that troops made significant gains over the rebel forces throughout the country. Guns were everywhere, even in the hands of little kids – as you might notice in the utterly shocking photo above. The BBC, however, reports that the excitement appears misguided, as the gains against rebel forces weren’t nearly as successful as originally reported. “Tripoli is full of rumours, and versions of the truth,” writes BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen. “Some are closer to reality than the others.The regime does appear to feel much more secure than it did 10 days ago when I arrived, even though it is more isolated. More of day-to-day life in Tripoli has resumed.” (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP) source

06 Mar 2011 10:29

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World: British official: Sudden drop in Libyan refugees worrying

  • That is a matter of some anxiety … Two days ago there were 10,000 or 11,000 people coming across (the border). Yesterday there were only 1,863 people who came across That is an artificial flow. Something has happened.
  • British International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell • Expressing worry over the sudden drop of refugees coming out of Libya. Mitchell expressed concern about what he saw happening in the country: “I met people on the border who had been robbed by Gaddafi loyalists…, who said they had had in some cases their papers removed, any money they had, their watches, their goods.” Mitchell says that the world at large should prepare to expand the humanitarian effort in Libya at a moment’s notice. source

06 Mar 2011 00:47

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Politics: Mitt Romney rips Obamacare (which was based on his own plan)

  • You may have noticed that the president and his people spend more time talking about me and Massachusetts health care than Entertainment Tonight spends talking about Charlie Sheen.
  • Mitt Romney • Trying to get a whip-dash burn in on Obama while being hip and of the moment. Romney was in New Hampshire today making the kind of inroads a presidential candidate might make. Which, of course, means that he has to eventually talk to the elephant in the room – he health care plan he enacted, on which the federal plan was modeled. Romney’s take? He was dealing with problems “unique to Massachusetts” with his plan, and Obamacare is “Misguided and egregious.” Because hey. As long as I look good and I can take credit for something, it doesn’t matter what you do. source