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Saudi Hacker Posts More Israeli Card Details Online

The Saudi hacker who posted details of thousands of Israeli credit cards online, said overnight he had exposed 200 more and threatened to continue exposing the same number every day.

In a message on Pastebin.com, the hacker who calls himself 0xOmar, posted two links including what he said were "200 fresh working Israeli cards" a day after an Israeli hacker exposed than 200 details of what he claimed were Saudi-owned credit cards.

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Italy Wins Merkel Praise as German Economy Slows

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday assured Italy its tough austerity measures would be "rewarded", amid signs her own economy was grinding to a halt as tensions in Eurozone markets simmered.

Capping a flurry of diplomatic activity as leaders strive to stem the crisis that threatens to tip the 17-member Eurozone into recession, Merkel expressed "great respect" for Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti's reform efforts.

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Ban to Discuss Syria, STL in Lebanon

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon's fourth visit to Lebanon, which starts on Friday, is expected to focus on the controversial Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) and the deadly crisis in n Syria.

A government source told Agence France Presse that Ban was expected to address Lebanon's duties to the STL that has charged four Hizbullah operatives in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri.

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Dutch Court Orders Internet Providers to Block Pirate Bay

A Dutch court Wednesday ordered two local Internet providers to block their clients from accessing Swedish file-sharing site The Pirate Bay, citing copyright concerns.

"Internet providers Ziggo and XS4ALL must block their customers from accessing The Pirate Bay website," The Hague district court said in a press release.

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Larijani Discusses Nuclear Program with Turkey

Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani on Thursday held talks on Tehran's controversial nuclear program with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, a Turkish diplomatic source said.

The source said the fragile situation in Iraq, locked in a political standoff that has raised sectarian tensions after the withdrawal of U.S. troops, also featured during a breakfast meeting.

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Milan Readies for Men's Fashion Fest

Top Italian brands including Gucci, Versace and Prada take to the catwalks in Milan from Saturday to show off their collections in one of the world's most prestigious events for men's fashion.

There will be a total of 39 shows of the spring-summer 2012-2013 pret-a-porter collections including also Dolce&Gabbana and Giorgio Armani and organizers are expecting 10,000 visitors from around the world.

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China Launches Operation to Free Pandas into Wild

China on Wednesday released six young captive pandas into semi-wild enclosures as part of a project aimed at helping the endangered bears adapt to the wild and eventually go free.

Previous attempts by Chinese authorities to release pandas into the wild have proved unsuccessful. The last bear that was set free in 2006 was found dead after 10 months, apparently killed by wild pandas.

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Ban Seeks 'Vital' Aid to Rebuild Post-Quake Haiti

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called for "vital" global support to rebuild Haiti two years after a catastrophic earthquake killed more than 200,000 people.

"The Secretary-General would like to honor the memory of the more than 200,000 people who perished in the tremor, including one hundred and two United Nations personnel," Ban's office said in a statement.

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Taliban Denounce Video of Marines Urinating on Dead Afghans

The Afghan Taliban Thursday denounced as "barbaric" a video apparently showing U.S. Marines urinating on dead Taliban fighters.

"This is a barbaric act. Over the past 10 years there have been hundreds of similar cases that were not revealed," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed told Agence France Presse.

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Japan to Reduce Iran Oil Imports, Supporting U.S.

Japan gave a boost Thursday to the U.S. campaign to sanction Iran over its nuclear program, pledging to buy less Iranian oil, a day after China reacted coolly to the U.S. effort.

Iran's "nuclear development problem can't be ignored by the world, so from that perspective we understand the U.S. actions," Finance Minister Jun Azumi told reporters after meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who was visiting Tokyo after two days in Beijing.

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