Word: helping
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...national ban may deter many potential text messagers, especially if the penalty for causing an accident while texting rivaled that of drunk driving, like the law passed last month by the Utah legislature that could send offenders to prison for 15 years. But while such a law may help ensure that perpetrators get the penalty they deserve, it may save few lives. Texters who get lucky and avoid an accident will be hard to detect, since phones are small and many hold theirs in their...
...even with federal assistance, the California fiscal crisis - and in particular July's $1.9 billion raid on local government finances to help balance the state budget - could threaten the system of mutual aid between fire departments across the state. For example, several fire departments in northern California went south to help out with the Angeles National Forest blaze. As the fire season continues, however, budget cutbacks may force some local fire departments to stop participating in mutual aid. "Local agencies may have no choice but to hold back. A fire department's first responsibility is to protect the home front...
...sometimes wonder what provocation it would take to unleash the Afghans' latent xenophobia, as happened with the Brits in 1842. The bombing of the tankers can't help, nor did revelations a few days ago that U.S. embassy guards were caught behaving like lewd frat boys around a bonfire. Luckily, in both instances, American officials here moved swiftly to apologize and minimize the damage, but there's no doubt that Afghan resentment toward foreigners is rising fast...
...first day of class in Iran comes with its own traditions, designed to help students ease into the academic year. First-graders have it the best. The children are designated as shokoofeh (literally, blossoms), and the teachers give each child a stalk of a fragrant flower. The principal raises a microphone and calls all of the kids into rows, regimented by grades. Then, at exactly the same time across the country, an official strikes a metal plate with a small hammer, the aural signal for the year to begin. The kids pass under a Koran and into their new classrooms...
...regional markets. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the number of free-trade agreements (FTAs) signed by Asian countries has grown from just three in 2000 to 56 by the end of August. Nineteen of those FTAs are among 16 Asian economies, a trend that could help the region become a powerful trading bloc. "Asian integration is sort of a dream, but it is much more realistic than it was before," says Ganeshan Wignaraja, an ADB economist. "There is a move toward making a better business environment in Asia. The momentum is quite strong." (See pictures of the global...