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...Brotherhood has been officially banned since 1954 but partially tolerated nonetheless during various periods ever since. It runs a network of charities across the country and operates offices in various towns and cities. When the regime let its guard down, under pressure from the Bush Administration, for the first round of parliamentary elections in 2005, Brotherhood members running as independents captured 88 of 454 seats, making them the largest opposition bloc in parliament...
...Previous efforts to unite Egypt's disparate opposition parties ended badly. And as the Brotherhood knows better than most, the first obstacle to achieving democratic reform may be the determination of the 28-year Mubarak regime to suppress such challenges. Despite recognizing the potential of an alliance with ElBaradei's coalition, Brotherhood spokesman Moursi warns that the obstacles are severe: "I don't think in the near future it will lead to real reform. Not even in the 2011 elections...
...Russian law, Hansen would not have been able to adopt Artyom without making at least two trips abroad, first to meet the boy and then to pick him up. She would also have been required to complete a home study, in which a social worker would have entered her house and interviewed her extensively about her reasons for adopting and her preparations for parenthood. Social workers in these circumstances also typically educate would-be parents about the challenges that are likely to emerge post-adoption - all of which makes the notion that Hansen could have been blindsided...
...infusion of Washington into Westminster doesn't stop there. Dunn, Knapp and Sheehan have all been hired to prepare Cameron and Brown for Britain's first-ever televised debates between party leaders (the Liberal Democrats' Nick Clegg will also take part). The first will be broadcast live on Thursday. Britons, used to abrasive political debates that routinely see the Prime Minister and leader of the opposition swapping contemptuous jibes while backbenchers heckle gleefully, may notice an American politesse to the TV confrontations. That's because the party leaders agreed to participate only if the broadcasts followed the deferential model...
Vatican insiders say the brushup is the latest sign that the troubles in Rome run deeper than just the Pope's apparent difficulty in facing accusations about his role in the church's dark past on this issue. Blame often falls first on Bertone, whom Benedict plucked for the prime job in 2006, after the two had worked closely for many years in the Vatican doctrinal office. The Secretary of State job has enormous responsibility, essentially serving as Vatican Prime Minister, charged with making the wheels of the billion-strong church turn smoothly, while the Pope focuses on being shepherd...