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MSNBC: 73-year-old Woman Climbs Mount EverestTamae Watanabe, who on May 16, 2002 at the age of 63 years became the oldest woman to climb Mount Everest, smashed her own record on Saturday, reaching the peak of the world's highest mountain at the age of 73, Kyodo news service reported.
CBSNews: Obama announces global food initiative(CBS News) Stressing a shared set of global imperatives, President Obama on Friday unveiled a new food initiative aimed at increasing food security in developing African nations and lifting 50 million people out of poverty over the next decade.
ABCNews: Census: Minorities Now Surpass Whites in US BirthsFor the first time, racial and ethnic minorities make up more than half the children born in the U.S., capping decades of heady immigration growth that is now slowing.
TheEconomist: Demography China’s Achilles heelShanghai reported fertility of just 0.6 in 2010—probably the lowest level anywhere in the world. According to the UN’s population division, the nationwide fertility rate will continue to decline, reaching 1.51 in 2015-20. In contrast, America’s fertility rate is 2.08 and rising.
TheEconomist: A passion play in prison: Enacting forgiveness and redemption This is the first time a passion play has been staged at a state prison. The head of the 18,000-acre prison for nearly two decades, Mr Cain firmly believes in the moral rehabilitation of offenders, and in the potential for redemption through Christian faith.
ForeignPolicy.com: Are East Germans the world's most godless people?A recent study by University of Chicago sociologist Tom Smith looks at survey data on belief in God in 30 countries between 1991 and 2008. The citizens of the former German Democratic Republic have by far the highest rate of atheism at 52.1 percent. The most religious country in the survey was the Philippines, where 83.6 percent of people are sure God exists and only 0.7 percent are atheists.
BBC: China denies preparing war over South China Sea shoalChina has denied reports its military forces are preparing for war amid tensions over a disputed territory in the South China Sea. The defence ministry statement comes despite warnings to the Philippines that military conflict is possible over a reef known as the Scarborough Shoal
CNN: Yemen plot exposes new world of US spyingAs details of the foiled al Qaeda plot to blow up a U.S.-bound airline became public, the world learned not only about a daring operation to stop terrorists, but also about the new reality of how U.S. intelligence works.
ABCNews: Five Unordinary Facts About President Obama's MotherShe had instilled in her son the importance of education, making him rise before the sun came up to do his homework. She would tell people that her son was gifted, "that he can do anything he ever wants in the world, even be president of the United States."
ABCNews: Joggers Live Longer Possibly Happier LivesDUBLIN -- For those who diligently lace up their running shoes and brave the elements to jog at least an hour a week, there is a very real reward -- an average of six more years of life, Danish researchers found. And the benefit was observed for both men and women.
CBSNews: Nanotech creating Rust Belt jobs for everyone(CBS News) In the capital of New York State, they're not waiting for an economic turnaround. CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod reports they're creating one in a laboratory, a lab that uses nanotechnology. That's the science of subatomic particles to make computer chips and jobs.
ForeignPolicy.com: Japan AwakensThe Japanese military is emerging from decades of pacifism. But do the country's political leaders have the vision and the will to make the country strong again?