U.S. lawmakers launch Wal-Mart bribery probe

(Reuters) – Two Democratic U.S. lawmakers on Monday said they were launching an investigation into allegations of bribery at Wal-Mart Stores Inc’s Mexican affiliate. Representative Elijah Cummings, top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Representative Henry Waxman, top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, sent a letter to Wal-Mart Chief Executive Mike Duke, requesting an in-person meeting with company officials. …

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Aging workforce strains Social Security, Medicare

An aging population and an economy that has been slow to rebound are straining the long-term finances of Social Security and Medicare, the government’s two largest benefit programs.

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Aging workforce strains Social Security, Medicare

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Yemeni troops battle al-Qaida militants in south

Yemen’s military regained part of a strategic southern city on Saturday after an intense battle with al-Qaida militants left 19 people dead as the government tries to purge the insurgents from their strongholds, officials said.

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UN authorizes 300 Syria cease-fire observers

The Security Council unanimously approved a resolution Saturday expanding the number of U.N. cease-fire observers in Syria from 30 to 300 and demanding an immediate halt to the violence that has been escalating since the government and opposition agreed to end hostilities more than a week ago.

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Malawi’s VP sworn in as president amid uncertainty

Malawi has known rule by Britain and by a mercurial dictator. Over the last few days, however, it wasn’t clear who was leading this impoverished southern African country, as doctors disclosed Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharika had died but the government insisted he was only ill.

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Canister fire

An Indonesian policeman fires tear gas towards students during a protest against the government’s plan to raise prices of fuel, near the Indonesian presidential palace in Jakarta.

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Canister fire

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Kenya sentences education official to jail for graft

NAIROBI (Reuters) – A Kenyan judge sentenced a senior education official to three years in jail for stealing funds and false accounting, Kenya’s main anti-corruption body said on Tuesday in what was a minor victory against endemic corruption in the East African nation. However the government rejected calls for the education minister and his permanent secretary to resign over the disappearance of 4.2 billion Kenyan shillings – equivalent to 1 percent of the 2005-2009 education budget. …

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Kenya says sacks 25,000 striking health workers

NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenya’s government said on Thursday it had sacked 25,000 public health workers after they refused to end their week-long stoppage over pay. Unemployed or retired health workers in the east African country were asked to report to their nearest health facility on Friday morning to be interviewed for the vacant posts, a government spokesman said. The striking health workers’ union said the government was trying to blackmail them and they would not back down from their demands for higher allowances. …

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China boosts defense spending by 11.2 percent (Reuters)

Reuters – China will boost military spending by 11.2 percent this year, the government said on Sunday, unveiling Beijing’s first defense budget since President Barack Obama launched a “pivot” to reinforce U.S. influence across the Asia-Pacific.

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IRS battling conservatives over tax-exempt status (AP)

AP – The Internal Revenue Service is embroiled in battles with tea party and other conservative groups who claim the government is purposely frustrating their attempts to gain tax-exempt status.

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IRS battling conservatives over tax-exempt status
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