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Russia Gives Broadcast License to CNN, Off-Air since Last Year

Russia said Tuesday it had issued a fresh broadcast license to CNN after the U.S. news channel went off air last year, blaming restrictions on foreign-owned media.

A spokeswoman for Russia's media watchdog Roskomnadzor confirmed an order was given to issue CNN with a license to broadcast nationwide for 10 years.

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India's Top Court Upholds Free Speech on Internet

India's top court Tuesday struck down a controversial law that made posting "offensive" comments online punishable by jail, a rare victory for free speech campaigners in a country criticized for a series of recent bans.

The Supreme Court said the 2009 amendment to the Information Technology Act known as section 66A was an unconstitutional curb on freedom of speech.

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Bangladesh Asks Nobel Laureate to Pay $1.5 Million in Tax

Bangladesh authorities have summoned Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus over a disputed bill for $1.51 million in unpaid taxes, a move analysts saw as a politically motivated move against the micro-credit pioneer. 

Yunus has been at odds with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since 2007 when he made a brief foray into the country's highly polarized political scene.

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War-Torn S. Sudan's Parliament Extends President's Term to 2018

South Sudan's parliament voted Tuesday to extend President Salva Kiir's mandate by three years, an official said, formally ditching any plans for elections this year in the civil war-torn country.

The move has been seen as going against peace efforts by regional mediators, who have been pushing President Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar to share power in a transitional government.

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Turkey Launches Operation against Kurdish Rebel Hideouts

Turkish security forces have launched an operation against Kurdish rebel hideouts and shelters in southeastern Anatolia, the military said on Tuesday.

Five teams were sent to the Mazidagi district in Mardin province after the local governor gave his consent, the army said in a statement posted on its website. 

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Turkey, China Wrangle over Suspected Uighurs Detained in Thailand

A family of suspected Uighur Muslims, among hundreds detained in Thailand since last year, will Friday learn their fate in a court case that has sparked a diplomatic wrangle between Turkey and China.

Both countries are seeking the repatriation of the family, who use the surname Teklimakan and claim they are Turkish.

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Canada to Extend Airstrikes against IS, May Go into Syria

Canadian airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq will be extended one year to March 2016 and may see sorties into Syria, the government said Tuesday.

But no ground combat troops would be deployed under the plan, which is to be debated in parliament Thursday.

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Turkey Probes Top Minister and Mayor as Ruling Party Rift Grows

Turkish prosecutors on Tuesday launched an investigation into Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc and Ankara mayor Melih Gokcek after the two traded angry accusations as a row within the ruling party widened.

Public prosecutors in Ankara launched the investigation into Arinc on charges of misconduct and covering up felony while they accused Gokcek of embezzlement and misconduct, private Dogan news agency reported.

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U.N. Unveils Proposals to End Libya Crisis

The United Nations unveiled Tuesday a six-point proposal aimed at ending the violence plaguing Libya by establishing a transitional government to rule until a new constitution is adopted and elections held.

Envoy Bernardino Leon, who has been shepherding peace talks between Libya's rival parliaments, presented what the U.N. mission (UNSMIL) described as the "basis from which the parties can work" toward a solution.

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Israel's Netanyahu Mired in Post-Vote Crisis with U.S.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on Tuesday facing one of Israel's worst-ever confrontations with the White House, which has shown absolutely no sign of accepting his post-election attempts at contrition.

Just a week after winning a shock election victory, earning a third consecutive term in office, he remains mired in a diplomatic crisis with U.S. President Barack Obama's administration.

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