Nov. 19, 2009 (Xinhua News Agency) -- Xinhua world news summary at 0830 GMT, Nov. 19
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate unveiled on Wednesday night a health care reform bill that was estimated to cost nearly 850 billion U.S. dollars.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told a press conference that the overhaul health care reform bill would expand health insurance coverage to 30 million more Americans. (U.S.-Health Care)
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TEGUCIGALPA -- Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya affirmed Wednesday that the Honduran Congress does not have the intention to reinstate him as president.
Zelaya said he would wait for the outcome of the Nov. 29 elections to find out which political party would be in the lead and could tip the balance in his favor. (Honduras-Crisis)
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KABUL -- The sitting Afghan president Hamid Karzai was sworn in as the president of the post-Taliban country for the second term on Thursday amid tight security.
His oath taking ceremony, at Karzai's fortified Palace, was administered by the country's Chief Justice Abdul Salam Azimi. (Afghanistan-Karzai)
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SEOUL -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Thursday he and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama held close consultations and reached agreements on various issues, such as South Korea-U.S. alliance, the DPRK's nuclear issue, the pending bilateral FTA, and other global issues.
The two leaders, in particular, agreed to move forward on the FTA and to stick to the Lee-proposed "grand bargain," on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear program. (S.Korea-U.S.-Obama)
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PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- A suicide bomber killed at least 16 people and injured 36 others in the Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar on Thursday, officials and hospital sources said.
Sixteen bodies and 36 injured were brought to the hospital, Medical Superintendent in main Lady Readings Hospital Sahib Gul told reporters in the hospital premises. (Pakistan-Blast)
