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Go to France, Britain, Ireland or Portugal -- you'll find the same sentiment on the streets of all these debt-ridden European nations: Europe's financial crisis was caused by rich and greedy bankers and politicians, yet it's the poor who're picking up the tab -- people like Mariana Silva. Silva is paid 400 euros for the 40 hours she slogs away each week in a kitchen in a poor neighborhood of Lisbon. Tax hikes and public spending cuts have driven her over the edge. She and her two kids are being kicked out of their home after defaulting on the mortgage. The power and the water have been cut off. For food, she relies on the help of the local priest and concerned members of the public.

Elections are underway in India to choose a new parliament. Nearly one in four of the members of the country's parliament is charged with at least one criminal offense. There's a big drive this year to get the crooks out of office.

India produces some of the world's greatest engineers and scientists, but some of its most influential and educated people also consult the stars. Pandit Ajai Bhambi is one of an army of astrologers dispensing advice to politicians about the general elections, which end May 16.

The Irish government has finally agreed to a bailout from the IMF and the EU, but the fact that the country even needed international aid has angered many people there. They are angry that the government let Irish banks overextend themselves, then promised to rescue them with billions of euros of Irish taxpayers' money. Many of Ireland's 4.5 million people are also angry that their long struggle for independence from Britain in the last century will now culminate in a loss of economic sovereignty. This anger is being expressed through biting satire, music and Guinness.

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf tried to fire his country's chief justice. Musharraf claimed he did that because of misconduct allegations. Many thought it was really because the judge might complicate Musharraf's plans to be elected president while remaining head of the army. For the U.S., it means a main ally in the war on terror is in trouble.

Last month, the two main parties in Pakistan's new coalition government agreed to introduce a parliamentary resolution reinstating the senior judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf within 30 days of forming a government. Musharraf's enemies say once the judges are back, they'll declare his recent re-election as president as illegal. Wednesday is the deadline to reinstate the judges.

Thousands turned out to pay respects to Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, who was buried in a family mausoleum near Karachi. New information has come to light about the final moments before her motorcade was attacked Thursday. Her assassination set off riots, but the violence seems to be subsiding.

The 15-year-old Pakistani school girl shot by the Taliban has been flown to the United Kingdom for treatment. Malala Yousafzai leaves behind her a country that is full of outrage and disgust over the attack. Yet the reaction to her shooting is much more complicated than that.

The Olympics are transforming Britain — at least for now. Before the games began The London Times declared they were sure to produce a litany of disasters. But the gloom has been obliterated in just a few days by a tsunami of patriotism and self-congratulation. The nation has been stunned and thrilled that the games are so far successful — and that their trophy cupboard is filling up at unexpected speed.

The reconciliation agreement between Palestinian rivals Fatah and Hamas is already having an impact in the beleaguered Gaza Strip. After a childhood dominated by misery and war, Yusef Ali is finally daring to hope. The winds of change that came with the Arab spring have swept into the benighted pocket of coastal desert in which he's been trapped for his whole life. Ali's only 27, yet he's spent the last four years living like a pensioner. He's been paid — but he's banned from working, because he's a soldier in the Palestinian Presidential Guard. That security unit is part of the Palestinian Authority; he lives on land ruled by the Palestinian Authority's erstwhile rival Hamas. So he's spent his days getting depressed — and watching TV. Now the factions are reconciled, he hopes to be back in uniform soon. Residents of Gaza are delighted with the reconciliation agreement, believing it deepens Israel's isolation and strengthens their hand — particularly because of Egypt support. Yet, there's also a recognition too in this war-wearing place that setting up a government of national unity will not be at all easy after all the years of division and bloodshed.