Nov. 30 Photo Brief: Rappelling baseball bigwigs, European cold front, Myanmar copper mine conflict, NY police officer’s kindness

Nov. 30 Photo Brief: Rappelling baseball bigwigs, European cold front, Myanmar copper mine conflict, NY police officer’s kindness

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Bobby Valentine, former Boston Red Sox manager and Brian Cashman, general manager of the New York Yankees rappel 22 stories in Connecticut, Western Europeans embrace the cold weather, Buddhist monks protest recent police violence at a copper mining site in Myanmar and more in today’s daily brief.

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Nov. 29 Photo Brief: The British press in the press, Miss Russia bears all and first seasonal snow in Austria, Cate Blanchett in a Hobbit hole

Nov. 29 Photo Brief: The British press in the press, Miss Russia bears all and first seasonal snow in Austria, Cate Blanchett in a Hobbit hole

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Lord Justice Leveson releases his offical report looking into the ethics of the British press, Miss Russia 2012 poses with a stuffed bear prior to a press conference, Austria is once again a winter wonderland and more in today’s Daily Brief.

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Lunchdate with Barack Obama and Mitt Romney includes white turkey chili, Southwestern grilled chicken salad

Lunchdate with Barack Obama and Mitt Romney includes white turkey chili, Southwestern grilled chicken salad

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President Barack Obama invited Mitt Romney over to the White House for a lunchdate Thursday with a menu that included white turkey chili and Southwestern grilled chicken salad. Not a bad lunch for the two men who were out on the road campaigning against each other for the presidency. “They pledged to stay in touch, particularly if opportunities to work together on shared interests arise in the future,” according to a White House press release.

Here’s the full White House statement:

This afternoon, President Obama and Governor Romney visited for an hour over lunch in the Private Dining Room adjacent to the Oval Office. Governor Romney congratulated the President for the success of his campaign and wished him well over the coming four years. The focus of their discussion was on America’s leadership in the world and the importance of maintaining that leadership position in the future. They pledged to stay in touch, particularly if opportunities to work together on shared interests arise in the future. Their lunch menu included white turkey chili and Southwestern grilled chicken salad.

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From football to field hockey, best photos from the fall sports season

From football to field hockey, best photos from the fall sports season

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Baltimore Sun Media Group photographers Brian Krista, Nicole Munchel and Jen Rynda cover dozens of high school and youth sports competitions in the fall season. Football, field hockey, cross country and soccer fields are where they have spent many evenings and weekends — sometimes in the rain and cold — over the past three months.

Here’s a selection of their best — and favorite — shots from the season.

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South American pole dancers swing through Buenos Aires

South American pole dancers swing through Buenos Aires

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Pole dancing has not only gained momentum as a fitness craze at local gyms, but also among some very talented gymnasts and athletes around the world. And to prove that the pole has successfully extended outside of the strip clubs form which it originated, this past weekend, Buenos Aires was inundated with swinging (and properly covered) women, and for the first time, men, competing in the South American Pole Dancing championship.

The competition was fierce between this year’s 76 South American athletes, but one country managed to take hold of the top spots. Rafaela Montanaro from Brazil was crowned as the Miss Pole Dance South America 2012 Champion, while fellow Brazilian Carlos Franca took the prize for the men. Both winners will represent their continent at the Pole Dancing World Championship in Europe next year.

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Nov. 27 Photo Brief: Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Kuwait royalty, Arafat exhumed, Iraqi police graduation

Nov. 27 Photo Brief: Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Kuwait royalty, Arafat exhumed, Iraqi police graduation

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Queen Elizabeth II holds a ceremonial procession for His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait, late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s remains are being tested for potential hard-to-trace radioactive poison administered by Israeli agents, Iraqi federal police demonstrate martial arts during the latest 60-day training course graduation ceremony and more in today’s daily brief.

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Nov. 26 Photo Brief: A Capitol Christmas tree, Mahatma Gandhi impersonator, Onion Johnnies, DR Congo conflict

Nov. 26 Photo Brief: A Capitol Christmas tree, Mahatma Gandhi impersonator, Onion Johnnies, DR Congo conflict

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Santa visits the Capitol Christmas tree, a Mahatma Gandhi impersonator in India, Queen Elizabeth II checks out weapons, DR Congo conflict continues and more in today’s daily brief.

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