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U.S. Urges Russia To End Syrian Arms Sales

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (UPI) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Russia to stop selling arms to Syria, where a crackdown by President Bashar Assad’s regime claimed 2,000 lives. “We want to see Russia cease selling arms to the Assad regime,” Clinton said in an interview with CBS News Thursday. Earlier this month, Russia […]

Toxic Seaweed Closes French Beaches

PARIS, Aug. 12 (UPI) — Beaches in France have been closed amid worries that toxic seaweed, blamed in the deaths of dozens of wild boar, could be a danger to people, authorities said. The problem occurs when runoff of excess fertilizer reaches the ocean, triggering the rapid growth of seaweed that then washes up on […]

Training Taking Center Stage In Afghan War

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (UPI) — Building the capacity of the Afghan military and police is a primary goal of U.S. forces there as they make plans to withdraw, the U.S. State Department said. U.S. President Barack Obama has said that 10,000 U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan by the end of this year with another 23,000 […]

Italian Police Arrest 20 'Gladiators'

ROME, Aug. 12 (UPI) — Police in Rome said officers went undercover in gladiator garb to arrest 20 costumed workers accused of using violence to protect their territory. Investigators said officers disguised themselves as costumed performers outside of the Colosseum and soon found themselves under attack from other gladiator impersonators working with five tourist agencies, […]

Italian Police Arrest 20 ‘Gladiators’

ROME, Aug. 12 (UPI) — Police in Rome said officers went undercover in gladiator garb to arrest 20 costumed workers accused of using violence to protect their territory. Investigators said officers disguised themselves as costumed performers outside of the Colosseum and soon found themselves under attack from other gladiator impersonators working with five tourist agencies, […]

Industrial Production Slips In Europe

BRUSSELS, Aug. 12 (UPI) — Industrial production dropped sharply in the eurozone and European Union in June, the EU statistical office Eurostat reported Friday. Production fell by 0.7 percent in the 17 nations that use the euro as currency and 1.2 percent in the 27-member European Union. Economists had expected industrial production to rise about […]

Britain's Hedgehogs Threatened

LONDON, Aug. 12 (UPI) — Hedgehogs, once common across Britain, have suffered a dramatic decline and could disappear from the country within 15 years, a study says. A 25 percent decline in their numbers has left around a million hedgehogs in Britain and in some areas the decline has been closer to 50 percent, the […]

Britain’s Hedgehogs Threatened

LONDON, Aug. 12 (UPI) — Hedgehogs, once common across Britain, have suffered a dramatic decline and could disappear from the country within 15 years, a study says. A 25 percent decline in their numbers has left around a million hedgehogs in Britain and in some areas the decline has been closer to 50 percent, the […]

Italian Official: 'Blood And Tears' Needed

ROME, Aug. 12 (UPI) — Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi held several meetings Friday to work on an austerity plan to keep a financial crisis from worsening, his office said. The government is looking for $29 billion in savings and revenue to try to balance the budget by 2013 and reassure global markets about its […]

Italian Official: ‘Blood And Tears’ Needed

ROME, Aug. 12 (UPI) — Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi held several meetings Friday to work on an austerity plan to keep a financial crisis from worsening, his office said. The government is looking for $29 billion in savings and revenue to try to balance the budget by 2013 and reassure global markets about its […]