President Obama projects that his new plan for reducing the federal debt will save more than $3 trillion over the next decade by raising taxes on the wealthy and slashing spending on a host of government programs, from farm subsidies to federal worker pensions. But independent budget experts said the blueprint that Obama unveiled Monday — which White House officials say would save more than $4 trillion when added to earlier budget deals this year — appears to fall short of his target. The plan also relies on an array of well-worn budget ploys that do little to advance the cause of bipartisan cooperation in taming the nation’s spiraling debt, the experts said. Read full article > >

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Budget analysts say Obama deficit plan is likely to miss its targets

Fugitive Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi denies reports he has fled to Niger, as officials say he sold 29 tonnes of Libya’s gold during April or May.

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Gaddafi denies fleeing to Niger

The wife and three children of fugitive Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have entered Algeria, officials say, prompting an angry reaction from Libyan rebels.

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Gaddafi family ‘flee to Algeria’

The rebel claims come as U.S. officials say Moammar Gadhafi might be preparing for a last stand in Tripoli.

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Libya: Gadhafi not seeking exit for family

Health officials say seven cases of E. coli have now been confirmed and three people are in hospital following an outbreak in south east Wales.

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Seven cases in E. coli outbreak

South Korean officials say they are building a new facility to hold some of the 3,000 North Koreans who arrive in the country each year.

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New holding centre for N Koreans

Yemeni Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has taken over President Saleh’s responsibilities, according to a government spokesman. The announcement comes as Saudi officials say Saleh has arrived Riyadh for medical treatment, though many Yemeni…

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VP Takes Power as Saleh Leaves Country

Another match flicked at the tinderbox of U.S.-Pakistani relations: Local intelligence officials say NATO helicopters from Afghanistan intruded into Pakistan Tuesday, wounding two soldiers. According to a Western official, the choppers were returning…

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NATO Choppers Wound Pakistani Troops

WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say that Osama bin Laden kept a hand-written journal filled with planning ideas and details of operations. The journal was seized in the dramatic US raid. The journal was part of a huge cache of intelligence that included about 100 flash drives and five computers taken by U.S. Navy SEALs after they swept through the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly about what was found in bin Laden’s hideout. Read full article > >

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Osama bin Laden kept hand-written journal that was seized in Navy SEAL raid, say AP sources

This wouldn’t be good: Pakistani security officials tell ABC News that while Osama bin Laden’s son Khalid was killed during last week’s Navy SEAL raid, another son may have escaped and is still at large. U.S. officials say it is not clear if…

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Bin Laden’s Son Escaped: Report

Residents of Kentucky along the Mississippi River were allowed to return home on Saturday, as officials say they have seen the worst of the flooding. However, Memphis is not expected to see the river peak until mid-week. Record river levels are…

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Memphis Floods Worsen

At least eight people are killed by US drone missiles in a Pakistani tribal area, officials say, in the first such strike since the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

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Deadly US drone raid in Pakistan

Even though a final plan for dealing with the severely damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant isn’t in place, officials say they’ll start searching for bodies near the complex. Police in protective gear are swarming the area, which has been off limits…

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Police Search for Bodies Near Nuke Plant

Despite a decade of war, a surge of U.S. troops, and attempts to lure their local allies away through negotiation, American and Afghan officials say al Qaeda is on the comeback trail in Afghanistan. The group was largely driven from the country early…

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Al Qaeda Thrives in Afghanistan

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Congressional budget negotiations are stuck in neutral again, officials say, increasing the odds of a government shutdown in early April. The nation’s current spending bill expires April 8. Sources say Senate…

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Congress Budget Talks Stall Again