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Beirut Electrician Keeps Shatila Camp Dwellers on the Grid 

By his own account, Abu Wadih is a man very much in demand.

One look at the jumbled mass of sinewy electricity cables, TV and Internet lines that droop over the damp, narrow alleyways of the Palestinian refugee camp of Shatila, and it's easy to see why. Abu Wadih, as the chief electrician in Shatila, is responsible for making order out of that chaos and ensuring that the camp's more than 20,000 residents can turn on their lights and televisions.

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'Transformers' _ Way, WAY More of the Same

Crash. Shatter. Boom. Crash. Shatter. Boom. Smattering of silly dialogue. Pretty girl screams: "Dad!" Crash. Shatter. Boom. Silly dialogue. "DAD!!!" Crash. Shatter. Boom.

What? Oh, sorry. We were falling into a trance there.

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Ramadan Rush: Mega-Rich Shoppers Descend on London

Before the fast, let there be a shopping feast.

From Harrods in Knightsbridge to the glittering diamond stores in Mayfair, London has long attracted big spenders. But every year around the holy month of Ramadan, which starts this weekend, a wave of spectacularly rich Middle Eastern shoppers arrives and takes retail therapy to a whole new level — complete with an entourage of bodyguards, chauffeurs, and Gulf-registered Rolls-Royces and Ferraris flown in just for the occasion.

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Hawaii at Center of Battle over Aquarium Fish

The waters off the Hawaii's largest island are home to a half-million brightly-colored tropical fish that are scooped up into nets each year and flown across the globe into aquariums from Berlin to Boston.

Scientists say the aquarium fishery off the Big Island is among the best managed in the world, but it has nevertheless become the focus of a fight over whether it's ever appropriate to remove fish from reefs for people to look at and enjoy.

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FDA Clears Robotic Legs for Some Paralyzed People

Federal health regulators have approved a first-of-a-kind set of robotic leg braces that can help some disabled people walk again.

The ReWalk system functions like an exoskeleton for people paralyzed from the waist down, allowing them to stand and walk with assistance from a caretaker.

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More Countries Adding Graphic Warnings to Smokes

Indonesia became the newest country to mandate graphic photo warnings on cigarette packs on Tuesday, joining more than 40 other nations or territories that have adopted similar regulations in recent years. The warnings, which showcase gruesome close-up images ranging from rotting teeth and cancerous lungs to open tracheotomy holes and corpses, are an effort to highlight the risks of health problems related to smoking. Research suggests these images have prompted people to quit, but the World Health Organization estimates nearly 6 million people continue to die globally each year from smoking-related causes. The tobacco industry has fought government efforts to introduce or increase the size of graphic warnings in some countries. Here are a few places where pictorial health warnings have made headlines:

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Germany Beat U.S. 1-0, Both Teams Go Through

Thomas Mueller scored his fourth goal of the World Cup on Friday as Germany defeated the United States 1-0 to win Group G ahead of the Americans, who also advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup despite losing.

With two wins and a draw, Germany topped the group with seven points, while the U.S. progressed with four. Portugal beat Ghana 2-1 but both were eliminated. Portugal also finished with four points but the U.S. had a better goal difference.

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Sweden Launches Probe on Israel Boarding of Gaza Ships

Swedish prosecutors are to investigate whether Israel broke international law when it boarded a number of aid ships that were attempting to defy an Israeli blockade of Gaza in 2010 and 2012.

The Swedish Prosecution Authority announced on Thursday "a preliminary investigation on the circumstances of the boarding by Israeli soldiers of ships heading to Gaza in May 2010 and October 2012".

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Pirlo: I Will Remain Available for Italy

Italy's midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo said he may go back on his decision to retire from international football.

The 35-year-old Pirlo, who plays for Juventus, added before the World Cup that he would quit international football after the tournament in Brazil.

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Threat of Housing Bubble Tempts Britain to Act

Is Britain's economy heading for bubble trouble?

Concerns are mounting that the country's housing market is overinflated, with London house prices rising almost 19 percent in the year to April. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has described the situation as the greatest risk to the economy. The International Monetary Fund is worried. Ditto European Union officials.

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