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SKOPJE, Macedonia – Macedonians voted Wednesday in parliamentary elections considered crucial for the tiny Balkan nation’s aspirations of eventual membership in the European Union and NATO. Past polls have been marred by irregularities, and President Branko Crvenkovski urged a free and fair vote in a country struggling to ease tensions …

Israel’s war against the radical Islamic guerrilla group Hezbollah began with the June 26 kidnapping of an Israeli soldier by the Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas. For the next two weeks, Israeli forces entered Gaza at will, searching for the kidnapped soldier while trying to dismantle Hamas. On July 12, …

NEW YORK – Retail sales growth stalled in June, leaving merchants wondering whether shoppers who were resilient for much of the year are now curbing their spending because of higher gas prices. As the nation’s retailers began reporting their monthly sales early Thursday, disappointments included Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), Costco …