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Middle East
12:54 pm
Wed December 26, 2012

Syria's War Leaves Its Scars On The Children

Originally published on Wed December 26, 2012 7:57 pm

The war in Syria is taking a huge toll on the children. An international team of researchers that interviewed Syrian kids in a refugee camp in Turkey found that 3 out of 4 have lost a loved one. Almost half have post-traumatic stress disorder and elevated levels of depression.

There are efforts to help, but it's challenging. In the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep, the bell rings at 8 a.m. at the Friendship Elementary School. Syrian kids, in fresh school uniforms, cram into desks, with more than 40 students in every classroom.

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Middle East
6:07 am
Wed December 26, 2012

Despite Protests, Egypt Has A New Constitution

Originally published on Wed December 26, 2012 7:02 am

After weeks of protests and intermittent violence, Egypt officially has a new constitution. Election officials say the Islamist-backed constitution passed a referendum with nearly 64 percent in favor. Secularists fear the charter would usher in Islamic rule and restrict freedoms.

Middle East
3:59 pm
Tue December 25, 2012

'Prophet School' Trains A New Generation In Israel

Originally published on Sun December 30, 2012 8:34 am

Hear the word "prophet" and the names Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jesus or Mohammed may come to mind. While these are figures from the distant past, Rabbi Shmuel Fortman Hapartzi is training a new generation of prophets for a new age.

Fortman runs the Cain and Abel School for Prophets in Tel Aviv. It's named for the sons of Adam and Eve who, in the Bible, were the first human beings born of woman to speak directly to God and therefore, Fortman says, the first prophets.

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Religion
3:59 pm
Tue December 25, 2012

Pope Calls For Peace And Hope In Middle East

Originally published on Tue December 25, 2012 4:21 pm

Robert Siegel shares Christmas messages from the Pope and Queen Elizabeth.

Africa
3:59 pm
Tue December 25, 2012

Islamist Militant Groups On The Rise In Africa

Originally published on Tue December 25, 2012 4:23 pm

Robert Siegel talks to Ofeibea Quist-Arcton and Tom Bowman about the U.S. fight against terrorism in Africa, where the number of Islamist militant groups is on the rise — some with close ties to al-Qaida.

The Salt
3:59 pm
Tue December 25, 2012

Computers May Someday Beat Chefs At Creating Flavors We Crave

Originally published on Thu December 27, 2012 10:06 am

Mario Batali, watch your back.

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Books
10:18 am
Tue December 25, 2012

Literary Iceland Revels In Its Annual 'Christmas Book Flood'

Credit Courtesy of Bryndís Loftsdottir
A shopper browses in a branch of the Icelandic book chain Penninn-Eymundsson.

Originally published on Wed December 26, 2012 2:46 am

In the United States, popular holiday gifts come and go from year to year. But in Iceland, the best Christmas gift is a book — and it has been that way for decades.

Iceland publishes more books per capita than any other country in the world, with five titles published for every 1,000 Icelanders. But what's really unusual is the timing: Historically, a majority of books in Iceland are sold from late September to early November. It's a national tradition, and it has a name: Jolabokaflod, or the "Christmas Book Flood."

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Asia
6:08 am
Tue December 25, 2012

Christmas In India

Originally published on Tue December 25, 2012 5:43 pm

India, the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism, marks the birth of Jesus with a national holiday.

Indians call Christmas bara din, or the Big Day.

Chef Bhakshish Dean, a Punjabi Christian, traces the roots of Christianity in India through food.

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Africa
4:41 am
Tue December 25, 2012

U.S. Military Builds Up Its Presence In Africa

Originally published on Wed December 26, 2012 7:22 am

An Army brigade from Fort Riley, Kan., some 4,000, soldiers, will begin helping to train African militaries. The idea is to help African troops beat back a growing terrorist threat posed by al-Qaida.

The American troops will head over in small teams over the course of the next year. The Dagger Brigade returned to Kansas last year from a deployment to Iraq, where it trained and advised that country's security forces.

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Middle East
4:14 am
Tue December 25, 2012

Dig Finds Evidence Of Pre-Jesus Bethlehem

Credit AP
The Israel Antiquities Authority says archeologists have found the oldest artifact that bears the inscription of Bethlehem, a 2,700-year-old clay seal with the name of Jesus' traditional birthplace.

Originally published on Wed December 26, 2012 7:13 am

Thousands of Christian pilgrims streamed into Bethlehem Monday night to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It's the major event of the year in that West Bank town. But Israeli archaeologists now say there is strong evidence that Christ was born in a different Bethlehem, a small village in the Galilee.

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