Sewage at the beaches, piles of garbage mar Gaza summer

By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - When Palestinians in the Gaza Strip seek some relief from the grind of life in an enclave plagued by conflict and hardship, they usually need to look no further than their sandy beaches. Baha al-Agha of the Gaza Environment Quality Authority said about 100,000 cubic meters of untreated waste water are being pumped into the Gaza shore daily. Egypt's closure of most of the estimated 1,200 cross-border smuggling tunnels run by Islamist group Hamas has virtually stopped cheap Egyptian fuel coming into Gaza. Egypt's military-backed government fear the tunnels are used to take weapons into the Sinai Peninsula, and accuses Hamas of backing the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.

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Studies question UN strategies to save mothers

LONDON (AP) — In the past decade, billions of dollars have been spent trying to save the lives of mothers in developing countries using strategies — usually inexpensive drugs — deemed essential by the U.N. health agency.



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Healthy-looking pope back in public after visit cancellation

Pope Francis led a religious ceremony at the Vatican on Sunday, his first public appearance since concerns for his health were raised when he abruptly canceled a visit to a Rome hospital two days ago. He also gave 24 recently appointed archbishops a vestment known as a pallium, a small circular band worn around the neck which symbolizes their unity with the pope.

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On eve of court ruling, Americans oppose contraceptive ban: Reuters/Ipsos poll

By Joan Biskupic WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A majority of Americans oppose letting employers, based on their religious views, exclude certain contraceptives from workers’ insurance coverage, says a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court decision expected on Monday. In one of the most closely watched cases of the year, the nine-member court will weigh whether for-profit corporations may raise religious objections to a mandate in President Barack Obama's signature 2010 healthcare law that their insurance cover contraceptives. It brings to the forefront thorny questions of religious freedom and reproductive rights, along with enduring politicking over the law known as Obamacare, itself broadly upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012. The poll asked whether employers should be able to choose what forms of contraceptives their health plans provide based on their religious beliefs.

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Epic Ab Exercises for a Firm, Flat Stomach

Crunches, side bends, leg lifts... If you're tired of doing the same ab exercises over and over again (and perhaps without seeing desired results), well then you've come to the right place! Click here to see All The Epic Ab Exercises for a Firm, Flat Stomach If your goal is to sculpt a firm, flat stomach, first understand one thing: it involves more than just exercising your abs. These moves will help shape and build your abdominal muscles (increasing your core strength in the process), but if you want those muscles to be visible (think, six-pack ab style) then you'll



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Watch: 'Miracle' Twins Born 24 Days Apart Head Home

Alexandre and Ronaldo Antunes are home after months in the hospital.



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Bush's daughter leads global health group

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Barbara Bush was struck by what she saw when she arrived in Africa more than a decade ago as her father, then-President George W. Bush, unveiled a plan to combat AIDS: Hundreds of people were waiting in the streets for antiretroviral drugs that were readily available in the United States for years.

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