Reuters World News Highlights

CAIRO – Israel has softened its terms for a prisoner swap with Hamas and the two are nearing a deal to exchange hundreds of jailed Palestinians for an Israeli soldier held in the Gaza Strip, officials said.
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WASHINGTON – US lawmakers and exiled Chinese dissidents urged US President Barack Obama to intervene with China’s government on behalf of Jiang Tianyong, a rights activist who tried to see Obama while he was in China last week.
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BUCHAREST – President Traian Basescu led by a slim margin in the first round of Romania’s presidential election, but the close results pointed to tough talks ahead to build a new government.