Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

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OLIGARCH'S ELECTION BID
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Tycoon Prokhorov's Tentative Challenge to Putin 
Some see Russian presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov, one of the
world's richest men, as a Kremlin puppet, even though he has supporters
among the Moscow protesters and oligarchs tired of Vladimir Putin. But
he is challenging Putin in the campaign by calling for more
privatization and less government.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,812270,00.html#ref=nlint

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Photo Gallery: A Challenge to Putin
http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-78010.html#ref=nlint

Interview with Putin Challenger Prokhorov: 'In the Worst Case there'll
be Civil War'
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,812309,00.html#ref=nlint


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INTERVIEW WITH PUTIN CHALLENGER PROKHOROV
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'In the Worst Case there'll be Civil War'
Mikhail Prokhorov is one of the wealthiest men in Russia and now he
wants to enter the Kremlin, planning to challenge Vladimir Putin in the
2012 presidential election. Speaking to SPIEGEL ONLINE he speaks out
against Russia's political class and urges the release of oil magnate
Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,812309,00.html#ref=nlint

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Oligarch's Election Bid: Tycoon Prokhorov's Tentative Challenge to Putin

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,812270,00.html#ref=nlint


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MERKEL GETS HER FISCAL PACT
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EU Summit Marred by Fears of German Domination
Angela Merkel got the green light for her fiscal pact at Monday's EU
summit but struggled to allay new fears of German domination. The
planned message of the meeting -- a commitment to jobs and growth -- was
drowned out by controversy following German calls to put Greece's budget
under EU control.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,812398,00.html#ref=nlint

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A Bluffing Game: European Politicians in Denial as Greece Unravels
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,812194,00.html#ref=nlint


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ESM PLUS EFSF PLUS IMF
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Europe May Be Planning 1.5 Trillion Euro Backstop Fund
The permanent euro backstop fund ESM is due to replace the European
Financial Stability Facility this year. But both 500 billion-euro funds
could be merged and added to a third from the International Monetary
Fund to create a super debt firewall, according to media reports from
Davos.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,812565,00.html#ref=nlint

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ISLAMIC EXPERIMENT
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Can Egypt Make Democracy Work?
One year after the revolution, Egypt may have a parliament, but it still
has a long way to go before it can call itself a true democracy. The
ultra-conservative Salafists have misgivings about the parliamentary
system, while secular politicians worry that the Muslim Brotherhood and
the military council are making deals behind the scenes.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,812196,00.html#ref=nlint

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Photo Gallery: Egypt Moves Toward Democracy
http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-77991.html#ref=nlint


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PRISON TORTURE IN LIBYA
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'Patients Who Had Been Electrically Shocked'
Doctors Without Borders suspended its work in the Libyan city of Misrata
last week because prison officials repeatedly brought torture victims in
for treatment -- only to return them to interrogation after they
received medical care. SPIEGEL spoke with the group's general director,
Christopher Stokes, about the situation in Libya.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,812396,00.html#ref=nlint

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SHOW OF FORCE IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ
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Risk of 'Accidental' Gulf War on the Rise
The concentration of naval power in the Strait of Hormuz is heightening
the risk of a fourth Gulf war, even though the show of force may be
nothing more than posturing by the West and Iran in the run-up to
negotiations. The stretch of water, 34 miles at its narrowest point, is
the aorta of the oil trade.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,812199,00.html#ref=nlint

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Photo Gallery: Show of Force in the Gulf
http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-77995.html#ref=nlint


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MARKETING MISHAP
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European Cold Front 'Cooper' Sponsored by Mini
Dozens of people have been killed so far as a high pressure system from
Siberia holds much of Europe in its icy grip. The cold front has been
named "Cooper" in Germany, after the Mini Cooper compact. The company's
advertising agency having paid 299 euros to sponsor it. 

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,812461,00.html#ref=nlint

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Photo Gallery: Frosty Europe Catches a Chill
http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-78026.html#ref=nlint


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THE WORLD FROM BERLIN
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'A Sarkozy Loss Would Be Severe Setback for Berlin'
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is facing a steep uphill battle in
his campaign for re-election. On Sunday, he announced a cornucopia of
new policy proposals in a last ditch effort to inject life into the
French economy. German commentators don't think it will be enough.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,812477,00.html#ref=nlint

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Merkel Gets Her Fiscal Pact: EU Summit Marred by Fears of German
Domination
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,812398,00.html#ref=nlint


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PICTURE THIS
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Labor of Love


http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,812573,00.html#ref=nlint