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[0]Colombian conscientious objector speaks

"Plan Mexico" dies with Iraq funding bill —for now [1]
President Bush's $163 billion Iraq war funding request collapsed in the House as Republicans sat out the vote in protest of Democratic efforts to add money for the unemployed and an expansion of education benefits for soldiers. Also included in the measure was $500 million as part of a multi-year commitment to Mexico's drug war. [more [2]]

Tibetan monks still face sweeps [3]
Ten monks were arrested at Tibet's Khenpa Lungpa Monastery for defying the "patriotic re-education" campaign, in which authorities demand ritual denunciations of the Dalai Lama. Last week, 140 monks were arrested at Labrang Monastery, Gansu province. [more [4]]

[4]Monks protest at Labrang Monastery

Peace in Pakistan equals war in Afghanistan? [5]
NATO spokesman James Appathurai warned that "deals being struck between the Pakistani government and extremist groups in the tribal areas may be allowing...the extremists to have safe havens, rest, reconstitute and then move across the border." [more [6]]

Berlusconi back: no immigrants, yes nukes [7]
In his first week back in power, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi sent Italian police on a massive sweep of shantytowns across the country, arresting nearly 400 undocumented immigrants. He also called for overturning a 1987 referendum that banned nuclear power in Italy. [more [8]]

More headlines... [9]