PACKED STADIUM: All but one section of the Jakarta stadium was filled by the hardline Hizbut Tahrir supporters seeking the return of a caliphate
More than 70,000 members and supporters of the hardline Hizbut Tahrir Muslim group held a massive gathering yesterday at a sports stadium in the Indonesian capital.

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The pews of the 12,000-seat auditorium are packed for Sunday services and the capital's skyline is aglow with red neon crosses. Those not inside the Yoido Full Gospel Church -- the world's largest congregation -- can watch the sermons online in 16 languages.

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The new president of the Japanese parliament's upper house called for a rethink of Japan's support of coalition forces in Afghanistan yesterday, as a news report said his opposition party will suggest replacing that mission with humanitarian aid.

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PROGRESS DERAILED: The leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan spoke at a four-day meeting aimed at quelling violence in the border region between the two countries
Afghanistan and Pakistan have been deeply mired in the rise of militancy, extremism and radicalism while the rest of the world races forward with economic development, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf told more than 600 Afghan and Pakistani tribal leaders yesterday.

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Islamic extremists killed two Afghan nationals accused of being US spies in the restive Pakistani tribal belt yesterday, officials said.

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Malaysia's first openly gay Christian pastor conducted a controversial worship service yesterday, calling on mainstream churches not to discriminate against homosexuals.

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READY, AIM ... : Philippine President Gloria Arroyo moved army headquarters to Zamboanga as plans for the offensive against the Abu Sayyaf group firmed
The Philippine defense secretary and top military generals flew to the volatile south yesterday, meeting commanders set to launch a new offensive against Muslim insurgents who killed 25 soldiers in a day of fighting last week.

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TENSIONS: Russian Air force chief Alexander Zelin said that Russian bombers will have `scheduled' flights over neutral waters, days after planes approached a US naval exercise
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday visited a missile warning radar station that he called the initial installation in a program to strengthen the country's air defenses.

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The parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann on Saturday marked the 100th day since their three-year-old daughter disappeared from a hotel room in southern Portugal by taking part in a special service of prayers.

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Envoys from the US, the EU and Russia were working with a sense of urgency to help Serbia and Kosovo's independence-seeking ethnic Albanians find common ground on the province's future, one diplomat said on Saturday.

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LOVE OF LAUGHTER: A judge ruled that Mark Roberts' behavior was not anti-social, as he sees himself as an entertainer of sports spectators, not an offender of them
A court ruling this month has thrown the spotlight on what some consider a quintessentially British pastime: streaking, or running around naked in public, preferably with a large crowd watching.

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COOLER: Following his first summit as prime minister, 73 percent think Brown is less close to Bush than Blair, which has won him greater approval
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has led his Labour Party to its biggest poll lead over the opposition since before the Iraq War, a survey showed yesterday.

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HEART-TO-HEART: Acknowledging that they had their differences, the leaders of the US and France had a casual visit, postponing in-depth talks until this fall
US President George W. Bush and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy affirmed their countries' friendship on Saturday ahead of a casual lunch, a "heart-to-heart talk" and a brisk boat ride that could signal a new era of closer ties.

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A video camera lowered into a mine where six workers have been missing for more than five days shows "survivable space," a federal official said, but attempts to signal the miners were met by silence.

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IN DEMAND: About 2,000 dogs confront danger by the side of US soldiers, and they are so valued that wounded dogs get medical treatment much like wounded troops
When he came to, the US Marine's arm hung lamely. It was broken by ball bearings hurled so hard from a suicide bomb that they also became embedded in his gun. Yet Brendan Poelaert's thoughts quickly turned to his patrol dog.

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Republican hopeful Mitt Romney cruised to an expected win in the first key test of next year's White House race, in a party popularity poll in Iowa devalued by the absence of his top rivals.

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DAMAGE: A laser device will provide the exact measurement and depth of the gash so NASA engineers can decide if repairs are necessary
Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) yesterday were to examine and measure a troublesome gash in the shuttle Endeavour's heat shield by means of a camera and a laser atop a robotic arm.

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Americans are living longer than ever, but not as long as people in 41 other countries.

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■ SOUTH KOREA
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