Sunday, January 23, 2011 - Last Update: 1:59 PM ET (18:59 GMT)

In China, Hu's Successor Is Being Quietly Groomed

BEIJING — Following a succession plan laid out years ago, President Hu Jintao will pass the baton to his presumed successor, Xi Jinping, now China’s vice president.

President Hu Jintao of China, left, spoke with Vice President Xi Jinping in 2009.
Andy Wong/Associated Press

Hu Jintao, left, with Xi Jinping in 2009.

The Shadow War

Former Spy With Agenda Operates a Private C.I.A.

A network of spies run by Duane R. Clarridge shows how private citizens can exploit the chaos of rivalries inside the government to carry out their agenda.

Obama to Press Centrist Agenda in His Address

WASHINGTON — President Obama will strike a theme of national unity and renewal in his State of the Union address Tuesday.

Israeli Panel Rules Flotilla Raid Legal

JERUSALEM — A commission concluded Sunday that Israel had acted in accordance with international law when its military intercepted a flotilla off Gaza last May.

TV Station Owner in Tunisia Arrested

The owner of a TV station and his son were arrested for “grand treason” for inciting violence and working for the return of the ousted leader, the state news agency said.

A man herded sheep on land in the Gir Forest that had been torn up by illegal limestone mining.
High Price for India’s Information Law

KODINAR, India — Activists have been harassed, beaten and killed when they have used a right-to-know law to make inquiries.

Latest News From Asia
Prime Minister Brian Cowen says leaving his party post but staying in office until the elections is “the sensible thing to do.”
Irish Prime Minister Quits as Party Leader but Holds on to His Office

LONDON — Brian Cowen said that he was abandoning his fight for political survival, but he pledged to remain prime minister.

Latest News From Europe
Israeli Panel Rules Flotilla Raid Legal

JERUSALEM — A government-appointed commission defended the actions of the country’s troops during last year’s deadly raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla from Turkey.

Latest News From the Middle East
Officers on Tunis’s central artery, Avenue Bourguiba. In a remarkable shift, the police organized a protest of their own on Saturday in solidarity with the revolution.
Tunisia’s Inner Workings Emerge on Twitter

TUNIS — The culture minister’s Twitter commentary has provided a singular narrative of a still-evolving revolution.

Latest News From Africa
Juan Lopez, a truck driver, in Tijuana, Mexico. Negotiations may give Mexican truckers greater access to Texas roadways.
U.S.-Mexico Trucker Dispute Takes a Step Forward

Mexican truckers may soon have greater access to roadways in Texas and beyond. Supporters of the proposal consider it a boon to business. Others see it as a threat to American jobs.

Latest News From the Americas
Katricia Gray, left, of Detroit, brought sculptures to Tulani Salahu-Din, a researcher for the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of African American History and Culture, at a November event to appraise possible donations to its collection.
The Thorny Path to a National Black Museum

Addressing a topic as fraught as race would be challenging anywhere, but it is particularly tricky within the Smithsonian.

Latest U.S. News
Travel
In India, Luxury Arrives in a Himalayan Haven

A new tour company brings high tea and high thread counts to a rugged corner of Northern India.

36 Hours in Valencia, Spain

The city, best known as the birthplace of paella, has been steadily inching onto the radar of savvy travelers.

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