Thursday, November 19, 2009 CAPE CANAVERAL: Space shuttle Atlantis' astronauts are about to step out on the first spacewalk of their mission.Michael Foreman and Dr. Robert Satcher Jr. will float outside Thursday morning to hook up a spare antenna and cables on the International Space Station. They also will tackle some other chores.It will be the first spacewalk for Satcher. He became the first orthopedic surgeon in space, with Atlantis' liftoff earlier this week.Three spacewalks are planned during the shuttle's weeklong visit, which began with a smooth docking Wednesday.Already, the astronauts have unloaded several tons of pumps, tanks and other big spare parts. All this gear should keep the space station operating well past next year's shuttle retirement.
BEIRUT: Thousands of people converged Saturday on central Beirut to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese former premier Rafiq Hariri.Waving Lebanese flags and carrying pictures of the slain leader, men, women and children gathered under sunny skies in Martyr's Square where members of the parliamentary majority were to address the crowd. The rally comes as final preparations are underway in The Hague for the launch of the international tribunal set up to bring Hariri's killers to justice. It also comes as the country prepares for legislative elections in June that will pit Western-backed political parties against a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Syria and Iran.Hariri died in a massive car bombing on February 14, 2005 that also killed 22 others. The assassination was widely blamed on then Lebanese power-broker Syria, which has denied any involvement. The attack on the Beirut seafront was one of the worst acts of political violence to rock Lebanon since t...
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