Word: amid
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...approval for park construction comes amid China's ongoing efforts to develop its tourism sector, which is expected to increase 3% this year. As disposable income in the country grows, amusement parks have proliferated throughout the country - by some estimates there are as many as 2,000 - but the quality of the attractions is uneven. Earlier this year, a sex-themed park in the central Chinese city of Chongqing called Love Land was torn down before it could open to the public. Shanghai, however, could be on the verge of a tourism boom. The city will host the World Expo...
...along comes Begleiter, an investment banker who has grabbed a coveted place in the "November Nine." He wouldn't be there if not for the implosion of his longtime employer Bear Stearns, where he headed corporate strategy and helped wind down the firm's business amid the financial panic of 2008. The demise of Bears Stearns marked the rise of Begs the poker player. After the firm was sold to JPMorgan in March of 2008, Begleiter was without work and looking for someplace to let off steam. "I decided what the heck," he recalls. "I'm going to play...
...issue, which has divided Switzerland, comes amid concerns over a rising anti-Muslim xenophobia in Europe and heated debate in countries such as France and Italy over the banning of other Muslim symbols like the burqa. In Switzerland, though, it's not just the referendum that has angered Muslims but also the SVP's minaret poster itself, which many opponents say incites hatred and violates the country's antiracism law. Several towns have outlawed the posters in public spaces, while other cities, like Geneva, have allowed them to be posted as a right of free expression...
Aitor Elizarán Aguilar, the political leader of the Basque separatist group ETA, and a top aide were captured in France on Oct. 19 amid a crackdown against the organization. The arrests followed the detention earlier this month of 10 accused members of a banned, ETA-linked political party; three military leaders have also been snared in the past year. Authorities have intensified their pursuit of the Spanish group since a 2006 bombing at Madrid's airport. ETA has been blamed for more than 820 deaths since...
...next election. Some political observers claim that the Rajapaksa brothers are trying to sideline the general, an allegation that the Defense Secretary has denied. "This is nothing but a despicable plot being hatched at the expense of the entire country," Defense Secretary Rajapaksa told a weekend newspaper amid reports of a growing gulf between Fonseka and the government...