BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged a reduction of 300,000 troops from China’s 2.3 million-member People’s Liberation Army, amid rising personnel costs and growing technological capabilities that reduce the need for large numbers of troops. The announcement Thursday at the start of a massive parade commemorating Japan’s World …
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PARIS – France wants to hold a meeting among the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Germany in the coming weeks to resolve tensions around eastern Ukraine, in hopes of eventually lifting EU sanctions. French President Francois Hollande said Monday that he will propose such a meeting in Paris ahead of …
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BEIJING – A Chinese woman who marred the reputation of the country’s Red Cross has been sentenced to five years in jail for running gambling activities. Dongcheng District Court in the Chinese capital of Beijing said Thursday that Guo Meimei ran casino operations out of private apartments in Beijing with …
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PRAGUE – Radim Palous, a leading anti-communist dissident and the first rector of Prague’s Charles University after the collapse of communism, has died. The university says Palous died Thursday at the age of 90. Palous was persecuted by the communist regime and was among the first to sign the Charter …
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INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts aren’t the same team without Reggie Wayne. In the five games since Wayne tore his right ACL against the Denver Broncos, Indianapolis is averaging 19.6 points. In the seven games Wayne played, the Colts averaged 26.7 points. The offensive line has failed to protect quarterback Andrew …
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OSLO, Norway – Alexander Dale Oen, a world champion swimmer who was one of Norway’s top medal hopes for the London Olympics, has died during training camp in Flagstaff, Ariz. He was 26. Federation President Per Rune Eknes said Dale Oen died after suffering a cardiac arrest. In a statement, …
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – It seems all anyone wants to talk about on sports call-in shows in Ohio’s capital city is Ohio State’s woeful pass defense. Yes, it’s been bad. But fortunately for the 20th-ranked Buckeyes, their offense has more than eclipsed that. Led by freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett and tailback …
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FORT WORTH, Texas – IndyCar Series points leader Will Power will start on the pole at Texas for the second consecutive year. Power had a two-lap average of 218.896 mph in qualifying Friday at the high-banked, high-speed 1 1/2-mile track for his 34th career pole. Josef Newgarden qualified second for …
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It’s go time. Time for the talk to stop and the racing to begin. Over the next 10 weeks, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will travel from the Midwest to New England, from the Sonoran Desert outside Phoenix to the Florida Keys and half a dozen stops in between in …
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SYDNEY – Adam Scott birdied his first six holes en route to a course-record 10-under 62 at Royal Sydney on Thursday to take a three-stroke lead after the first round of the Australian Open. Scott is attempting to join Robert Allenby as the only golfers to win all three Australian …
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