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Colombian Rebels Ready to Solidify Cease-fire, Urged by Novelist Marquez

Colombia and that country's second largest rebel group are succeeding in cease fire talks urged on by famous novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez .

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Colombia to Destroy Almost 14,000 Firearms Today

Nearly 14,000 firearms will be melted down today in Colombia in a ceremonial action highlighting the danger of illegal arms proliferation and to mark International Gun Destruction Day. The molten metal will be used to make school chairs and build a monument in memory of the victims of violence and kidnapping in Colombia,

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Colombia Making Citizens Safer, Reintegrating Former Terrorists

Colombia's citizens have shed their fear and have more confidence in the State, thanks to the consolidation of democracy and security following years of fear imposed by terrorists, the South American nation's President Álvaro Uribe Vélez said at the UN General Assembly. Over two-thirds of the 60,000 terrorists who had "ravaged the country at the start of the new administration" have turned their back on criminal activity and are taking part in a reintegration program.

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Ten New Amphibian Species Discovered in Colombia

Ten new species of amphibians -- including three kinds of poisonous frogs and three transparent-skinned glass frogs -- have been discovered in the mountains of Colombia, scientists announced Monday.

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Rats Help Colombia Sniff Out Deadly Landmines

11 white-furred rats are in the final stages of a training program to find landmines that kill or injure hundreds of people each year in conflict-wracked Colombia.

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Giant Escalator Installed for the Poor in Steep Colombian Shanty Town

The Colombian city of Medellin has opened a giant outdoor escalator for residents of one of its poorest shanty towns. The escalator is divided into six sections that transform a 35 minute climb into a 6 minute ride.

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Colombia's Farc Rebels: End to Kidnapping a New Start?

In an unprecedented concession, Colombian rebels have pledged to end their practice of kidnapping for ransom and release the hostages they hold, hoping to re-open the doors to dialogue as the civil conflict enters its 48th year.

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Japan Donates US$3 million in Food Aid to Afghans

The government of Japan has donated US$3 million to the United Nations World Food Programme to purchase food for 44,000 of the worst affected families in Afghanistan, WFP said on Monday in the capital Kabul.