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Food stamps. The recession introduced millions of Americans to food stamps. Now, more than a year after the recession is officially said to have ended, more Americans than ever are on food stamps, and the trend is higher still.

Indonesia tsunami. Deaths caused by a tsunami in western Indonesia reach 272, officials say, as doubts emerge over whether an early warning system was working properly.

Afghanistan. An intense military campaign aimed at crippling the Taliban has so far failed to inflict more than fleeting setbacks on the insurgency or put meaningful pressure on its leaders to seek peace, according to U.S. military and intelligence officials citing the latest assessments of the war in Afghanistan.