Communists end monopoly in E. Germany

EAST BERLIN The East German government voted Friday to strip theCommunist Party of its guaranteed monopoly on control of the country.

By erasing the constitutional clause that awarded power to the"Marxist-Leninist Party," the parliament took the first step towardfree elections. The surprise vote, which followed less than 15minutes of discussion, came two days after Czechoslovakia'sparliament eliminated the Communist Party's hold on power in thatcountry.

West German politicians welcomed the move as an essential steptoward opening the East German political process to the opposition.Western diplomats in East Berlin interpreted the parliament's actionpartly as a …

Iran's Khamenei warns Arabs against US, NATO

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's top leader is warning Arab nations that were swept up in uprisings against autocratic regimes not to trust the U.S. or NATO when they form their new governments.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's remarks came during the opening Saturday of an international Islamic conference in Tehran.

Khamenei says the U.S. and NATO will try to dominate the future governments in Egypt, …

White House panel on oceans visits Great Lakes

A White House panel developing a strategy for managing oceans and their coastlines is including the Great Lakes in its plan, which will propose ways to protect the environment while preventing conflicts among users.

The Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, which President Barack Obama established in June, convenes the last of six regional public meetings Thursday in Cleveland. It will be the only gathering devoted specifically to the Great Lakes.

"We understand that there are some challenges that the Great Lakes are facing that are very similar to challenges along the oceans," Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the task force and the White House Council …

Kids bring new ideas to old favorite

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Home Improvement division added to Hanna real estate mix

The Home Improvements Division of Hanna Holdings Inc. and Subsidiaries is expanding to include the Central Pennsylvania market. The Home Improvements Division will open on Sept. 15 and will operate out of Hanna's Camp Hill office.

Hanna Holdings is a part of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services of Pittsburgh.

The division opened last year, according to Alison Cooley, Hanna'a public-relations coordinator.

"We began this because we feel that there is a natural association between real estate sales and home improvements," said John Granata, president of the Home Improvements Division.

"We had customers buying homes and wanting to remodel immediately, so they would …

Man killed after taking hostages at Minn. meeting

A man who had fought with county officials for years over his adult businesses walked into a board meeting with a gun on Tuesday and held about 10 people hostage before law-enforcement officers fatally shot him, authorities said.

A few people managed to escape the county commissioners' meeting Tuesday morning after Gordon Wheeler Sr. pulled out a handgun, said Dave Bjerga, assistant superintendent for the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

They called the Morrison County sheriff's office and a few minutes later, Sheriff Michel Wetzel, a deputy and a state trooper fired on Wheeler, Bjerga said. The 60-year-old was pronounced dead later at a hospital.

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Ald. Coleman to switch big-box vote if Daley wants

A South Side alderman who voted for the controversial big-boxordinance said Monday she plans to change her vote if Mayor Daleyflexes his veto muscle.

Ald. Shirley Coleman (16th) said she changed her mind aboutrequiring retail stores with more than 90,000 square feet of space topay their employees at least $10 an hour and $3 in benefits by 2010after learning that Wal-Mart was seriously considering building astore in her impoverished ward.

The parcel reportedly under consideration by the nation's largestretailer is located at 61st and Halsted, down the street from the$254 million Kennedy-King College under construction in Englewood. AWal-Mart store just two blocks …