Topic: South Pacific

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Top 6 most triumphant stories of 2010

Most 2010 lists of major news will include the Gulf oil spill, the Haiti earthquake, the Republican midterm election sweep, and WikiLeaks. But we saw many events that also inspired or amazed or brought a smile. Here's our top 6 list.
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Papa New Guinea's parliament under blockade by police

The police are saying they will not allow parliament to sit until the next elections.
Solar eclipse 2012: All systems go for witnessing rare 'ring of fire' (+video)

A rare annular eclipse, where a ‘ring of fire’ outlines the moon as it crosses the sun, will greet US viewers Sunday evening. Residents of the US West will have a good shot at seeing the full fire ring.
"Fraud, waste, corruption:" Congress decries GSA culture

General Services Administration executives were in the hot seat for a second day of Congressional hearings as they faced scrutiny over misconduct.
Faith tourist: From Easter at the Vatican to a South Pacific church

My fascination with religious observances is ecumenical. I have recited my 'Allahu Akbars,' been blessed at Easter by the pope in St. Peter's Square, and recently attended a service in the South Pacific. Everywhere, I find a universal need for contemplation and self-surrender.
Sgt. Robert Bales and multiple tours of duty: How many is too many?

Twenty percent of active-duty Army troops are on at least their third tour of duty to a war zone. Sgt. Robert Bales, suspected of slaying 17 Afghan civilians, was one. Here's what's known about the dangers of repeated deployments.
Decoder Wire
Was Amelia Earhart a US spy? (+video)

The rumor persists that Amelia Earhart was spying on Japan for her good friend, President Franklin Roosevelt. A new expedition to find her downed aircraft may finally put to rest some of the wild theories about the aviatrix.
Amelia Earhart: Why is Hillary Clinton backing new search? (+video)

Amelia Earhart might have crashed on Nikumaroro island, a private group suggests. Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the US is backing the group's effort to discover the truth.
The new clue that could solve the Amelia Earhart mystery (+video)

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has joined scientists and aviation archaeologists in unveiling a renewed search for the wreckage of the plane flown by Amelia Earhart as she attempted to circle the globe in 1937.
Hillary Clinton wades into mystery of Amelia Earhart

New photographic evidence shows parts of a plane on a Pacific Island. Hillary Clinton meets Tuesday with a group investigating the disappearance of American aviator Amelia Earhart.
Russian probe crash sparks conspiracy theories, confusion

Russia's Phobos-Grunt space probesuffered a debilitating malfunction shortly after its November 2011 launch, which stranded it in low-Earth orbit for more than two months before it succumbed to gravitational forces and plummeted through the atmosphere on Jan. 15.
Samoa skips Friday in leap across international dateline

The time jump means that Samoa's 186,000 citizens will now be the first in the world to ring in the new year, rather than the last.
Was New Zealand prepared for its worst oil spill?

New Zealand's delayed response to its oil spill emergency, described as the worst in the country's history, has been compared with last year’s Deepwater Horizon catastrophe.
Latin America Monitor
Schools shuttered in Acapulco show impact of Mexican drug gangs on civilians

Schools in the city shut their doors for weeks after teachers became extortion targets for Mexican drug gangs.
Rat Island, off New York City, sold to local man

Rat Island used to be the home of typhoid patients in New York City. Now, a local resident has bought Rat Island.
Latin America Monitor
Why a truce between Mexico and the drug cartels makes no sense

After the latest massacre of Mexican citizens, former President Fox said authorities should seek a truce with the gangs – a suggestion that isn't feasible, says guest blogger Patrick Corcoran.
Latin America Monitor
Forget cliff diving, Acapulco now known as hot spot in Mexico's drug war

The days of jet set vacationing in Acapulco are long gone, but the Mexican resort city is once again in the news, this time for drug violence. It is one of the few tourist spots in Mexico suffering from public shootouts.
Safe in the storm, with a baby on the way

A Christian Science perspective: How a grandmother prayed when it looked as though a cyclone and her new grandchild were going to arrive at the same time.
Space shuttle launch Friday will be last for Endeavour

Space shuttle launch: the US space shuttle Endeavour will launch for the last time on Friday, drawing an estimated 750,000 spectators from all over the country.
Fat stigma spreads from Western countries

Fat stigma goes global: The Western desire for slimness has been spreading to cultures that previously celebrated larger bodies causing a fat stigma that never existed before.
New Zealand earthquake memorial services draw Prince William – and criticism

Memorial services were held today for those killed in the Feb. 22 New Zealand earthquake. With dozens of bodies still unidentified and businesses closed, some said it came 'too soon.'
What time is space shuttle Discovery set to land?

Space shuttle Discovery, returning to Earth Wednesday from its last mission, is expected to land in Florida just before noon Eastern Standard Time. Mission managers laud a nearly flawless flight.
New Zealand earthquake rescue efforts now in full swing

With the New Zealand earthquake death toll now at 98, authorities have mounted the country's largest-ever rescue operation in a bid to save as many of the 226 missing people as they can.
Economist Mom
Cockeyed optimists and the federal budget

Will congressional Republicans and President Obama reach a budget deal this year?
Top 6 most triumphant stories of 2010

Most 2010 lists of major news will include the Gulf oil spill, the Haiti earthquake, the Republican midterm election sweep, and WikiLeaks. But we saw many events that also inspired or amazed or brought a smile. Here's our top 6 list.
Amelia Earhart mystery solved? South Pacific bones may have answers.

Bones found on a South Pacific island may be those of Amelia Earhart, who disappeared while attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world.