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Asia


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Pervez Musharraf stepped down as Army chief of staff, to be replaced by the U.S.-educated Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani. Musharraf will remain as president, at least for now.

Japan's newly emboldened opposition won an upper-house vote on withdrawing support for the U.S. mission in Iraq. 

Indonesia, a country better known for its rapid deforestation rate, has embarked on a project to plant some 79 million trees ahead of next week's Bali conference on climate change.

Middle East

Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed in Annapolis to at least trying to negotiate a peace treaty by the end of 2008. The joint declaration, which set the 2008 target, wasn't finalized until 30 minutes before it was read by U.S. President George W. Bush. Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas will return to the White House today to formally kick off bilateral talks.

A female suicide bomber wounded seven U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

The U.S. major general in charge of prisons in Iraq is calling for a two-thirds reduction in prisoners by the end of next year. 

Baghdad's cab drivers may be the key to understanding Iraq's improving security

Europe 

Serbs and Kosovar Albanians failed to make headway on Kosovo as a move toward independence appears more and more likely.

Rioting French youth have a new weapon in their battle with the police this year: the shotgun. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is vowing to punish rioters who shoot at police.

In London, Christie's auctioned a rare Fabergé egg for a cool $18.5 million.

2008

Feel the Huck-mentum!

Elsewhere

Hugo Chávez is accusing CNN of inciting his murder.

A top U.N. official says that Sudan is obstructing peacekeeping efforts in Darfur.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky have bred a mouse that appears to be immune to cancer.

Today's Agenda

  • Tampa, Florida, hosts a CNN/YouTube debate for the Republican presidential primary.
  • European financial bigwigs are in China to complain about alleged Chinese currency manipulation.
  • Singapore hosts the Middle East and Asia Energy Summit.
  • If English poet William Blake were still alive, he'd be 250 years old today.

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