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Robben's Double Gives Dutch 3-2 Win over England

Plagued by injuries since the 2010 World Cup, Arjen Robben provided a timely reminder of his enduring quality by scoring a pair of classy goals in the Netherlands' 3-2 friendly win over England on Wednesday, 100 days before Euro 2012.

By opening and closing the scoring in at Wembley Stadium, the brilliant but fragile winger helped end a three-match winless run for the Dutch. It was just his second international appearance since the 2010 World Cup final.

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UK's White Cube Opens HK Gallery as Asia Art Booms

Britain's White Cube gallery, known as an early champion of provocative British artists Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin, launched its Hong Kong branch on Thursday, becoming the latest Western gallery to open an Asian outpost in pursuit of China's booming art market.

White Cube was unveiling a 6,000-square-foot (557-square-meter) space in a new building in Hong Kong's central business district. With the opening of its first branch outside Britain, White Cube follows in the footsteps of other British as well as French and American galleries that have set up shop in Hong Kong in recent years.

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China Manufacturing Sees Gains in February

China's manufacturing gained momentum in February, helped by strength in new orders, export demand and production, a government survey showed, though inflation pressures remain a concern.

The state-affiliated China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said its purchasing managers index, or PMI, rose 0.5 points to 51.0 from January's 50.5 and December's figure of 50.3 in a third straight month of steady improvement.

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Dubai Shipbuilding Firm Eyes End to Debt Process

Dubai's state-run shipbuilding company says it soon plans to lay out the terms of its $2.2 billion debt restructuring plan and aims to complete the process by July.

DryDocks World and several lenders have been wrangling over the terms of the restructuring for months.

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World Stock Markets Slip as Buying Fervor Cools

World stock markets edged lower Thursday as buying fervor cooled following a string of strong gains.

Benchmark oil slipped below $107 per barrel while the dollar fell against the yen but rose against the euro.

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Oil Falls below $107 amid Weak U.S. Gasoline Demand

Oil prices fell to below $107 a barrel Thursday in Asia after U.S. crude supplies grew more than expected amid weak gasoline demand.

Benchmark oil for April delivery was down 39 cents to $106.68 at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 52 cents to $107.07 per barrel in New York on Wednesday.

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Israel Unveils Sophisticated Shelters in Tel Aviv Amid Rising Tension with Iran

Underneath the plaza outside Israel's Habima national theater, Israel has put the finishing touches on a new gathering place that it hopes will never host a crowd: the country's most advanced public underground bomb shelter.

The shelter, four stories underground and with space for 1,600 people, is usually a parking lot. It is also part of Tel Aviv's elaborate civil defense infrastructure. City officials have been beefing up shelters and emergency services in recent months at a time of rising tensions with Iran and militant groups in the Gaza Strip.

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Parachutists Leap Off Tall Buildings for Leap Day

People jumped off tall buildings all around the United States Wednesday, but no one got hurt.

It was all part of a Leap Day promotion being filmed for an energy drink commercial.

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U.S. Muslim Study Finds Jump in American Mosques

The number of American mosques has increased dramatically in the last decade despite post 9/11 protests aimed at Muslim houses of worship, according to a new study.

The new Islamic centers serve Muslims who moved into the suburbs and newer immigrants from Africa, Iraq and elsewhere.

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Queen Elizabeth II to Open 2012 Olympics

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip will open the 2012 Olympics this summer, Buckingham Palace said Monday.

The royal couple will perform this ceremonial role at the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium when the games begin on July 27.

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