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Chinese President Hu Jintao is in the United States, and one issue he faces here is human rights. Most U.S. companies in China won't touch the issue, but businessman John Kamm made it a second career. Kamm has spent the last 16 years helping to free scores of Chinese political prisoners.

Congress orders a taskforce to re-launch the national health care debate. The effort is intended to go around the usual special interests, directly to the American public. While attendees across the country agree that the system is in trouble, consensus on how to fix it remains elusive.

In a long-running government case, a federal judge rules that cigarette makers engaged in a 50-year conspiracy to deceive the public about the dangers of smoking. Anti-smoking groups are disappointed that permanent education programs aren't part of the ruling but believe the judge's language creates a strong arsenal for individual smokers to sue for damages for their own smoking-related diseases.

The Dow fell by more than 1,000 points as retailers' earnings reports reflected difficulty navigating higher prices and supply chain bottlenecks.

Nepal's king vows to return multiparty democracy, bowing to weeks of protests and international pressure. However, King Gyanendra fell short of a key opposition demand: creating a special constitutional assembly.

Crude oil prices hit another record Friday, at $75 a barrel. Gasoline prices are also climbing, as well. While for most Americans the rising cost of gasoline is just an annoyance, evidence suggests that some drivers are beginning to sell personal valuables just to keep their gas tanks full.

Police fire on protesters in Katmandu, capital of Nepal. The demonstrators violated a curfew and marched on the palace of King Gyanendra. For many protesters, the king's vow to move to a multiparty government is not enough.

In a story that has enthralled many Italians, the pretender to the Italian throne, Victor Emmanuel, has been jailed over his alleged involvement in a sex scandal. The prince prefers to stay in jail rather than be granted house arrest in a nearby rented villa -- because, he says, there is no air conditioning. The lead investigator in the case, Henry John Woodcock, has become a minor celebrity. He is a Neapolitan with an English father. Transcribed wiretaps that have been published by the media reveal an underworld of right-wing politicians promising showgirls jobs in TV in exchange for sex -- which is said to take place inside the foreign ministry.

The FDA has approved the first once-a-day pill for HIV/AIDS patients. Doctors say it should greatly improve the quality of peoples' lives, and extend survival for many. But some are concerned that the perception that a simple fix exists for the disease will lead to complacency and risky behavior.

Israeli forces enter Lebanon in a search for two soldiers captured by Hezbollah militants during clashes along the border. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the abduction "an act of war."