Nicki Minaj’s Grammy Awards performance — complete with a mock exorcism, a mock confession and dancing monks — caused its intended cultural buzz. Some believe it is a transparent publicity stunt. Others believe it is the sign of a collapsing civilization. We should stop all this bickering. There is no reason it can’t be both. Read full article > >

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Michael Gerson: Where’s the outrage over Nicki Minaj’s mockery?

The Obama administration is preparing to send an ambassador to Burma for the first time in 24 years, S ecretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday in a further sign of the thaw in relations between the two countries. Read full article > >

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Clinton, citing thaw, says U.S. will send ambassador to Burma

In a further sign of a possible slide toward civil war, rebels reportedly seized a town near the Liberian border.

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Ivory Coast Rebels Claim to Expand Their Advance

Zoe Rosso, who is 3 years old, likes to bake brownies with her mom, go to tumbling class, and make up elaborate worlds with tiny plastic animals and dolls. Like many children her age, she sometimes has difficulty making it to the toilet on time.

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Girl’s suspension a sign of the times for potty training

What’s your sign? Not what you think it is: Research by the Minnesota Planetarium Society has recalculated the Zodiac calendar to correspond with the original Babylonian zodiac. The goal was to adjust the calendar so it reflects what the Babylonians…

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Zodiac Calendar Changes

In another sign of deteriorating U.S. influence in Iraq, the anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has returned to the country from exile in Iran, where he went in 2007 after his Shiite militia fought many off-and-on battles with U.S. forces. Sadr…

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Anti-U.S. Cleric Returns to Iraq

Venezuela extradites three suspected Colombian rebels in a further sign of warming relations between the two neighbours.

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Caracas deports Colombia ‘rebels’

Venezuela extradites three suspected Colombian rebels in a further sign of warming relations between the two neighbours.

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Caracas deports Colombia ‘rebels’

Venezuela extradites three suspected Colombian rebels in a further sign of warming relations between the two neighbours.

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Caracas deports Colombia ‘rebels’

Venezuela extradites three suspected Colombian rebels in a further sign of warming relations between the two neighbours.

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Caracas deports Colombia ‘rebels’

Yet another sign that the iPad is the future of personal computing: Steve Jobs unveiled a new Apple operating system for Mac computers on Wednesday, and it takes what’s best about the iPad: New features in OS X 10.7 Lion include multi-touch gestures,…

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Apple Unveils New Operating System

The announcement is another sign of the Obama administration’s newly assertive posture over China’s trade and commercial policies.

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U.S. Plans Inquiry on China’s Subsidies of Clean Energy

The two countries agreed to hold a series of reunions in another sign of tensions easing.

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Koreas Agree to Resume Reunions

The U.S. military has been working hard to provide flood assistance, but most of that is invisible to Pakistanis.

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In flood-ravaged Pakistan, no sign of American aid