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NATIONAL
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LARGEST PUMPKIN (SAT) - The largest pumpkin at the New York Botanical Gardens, weighing it at over 1,800 pounds, will be featured this weekend.
MALE PUBERTY (SAT) - U.S. boys are starting puberty even sooner than previously thought and up to two years earlier than other studies have shown.
CAMPAIGN (SAT/SUN) - President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney make final preparations for their final debate before the election.
METEOR SHOWER (SAT/SUN) - The Orionid meteor shower is expected to peak over the weekend.
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OTHER
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PALESTINE ELECTION (SAT) - Palestinians vote in local elections in the first vote since 2006 - the vote that brought Mahmoud Abbas to the presidency of the Palestinian National Authority.
CLASSIC ITALIAN DESIGN SHOWCASED IN MOSCOW (SAT) - Hot Italian designs are creating a buzz in Moscow. The organizers of 'EXHIBITALY' want to acquaint Russians with Italian fashion and quality, but they're also looking for a new market and opportunities.
EGYPTIAN FARMERS GO ORGANIC (SAT) - An Egyptian farmer on the coast of the Red Sea has turned to organic farming with the help of western agro-tourists. He offers volunteers a 'working holiday' in exchange for labor and organic knowledge.
REPORTS HIGHLIGHT LACK OF POST-OP CARE AFTER GASTRIC BAND SURGERY (SAT) - An increasing number of overweight people are opting for gastric band surgery without fully understanding the risks and the post-op care involved, a new report is warning. Doctors in the UK say patients should be given all appropriate information before they undertake these procedures.
SYRIA (SAT/SUN) - Fierce fighting continues between Syrian rebels and regime loyalists amid ongoing international efforts to stem the bloodshed as the civil is now in its eighteenth month.
SAN FRANCISCO PROVIDES STUDIO SPACE FOR ARTISTS (SUN) - It may not seem glamorous for an artist to work in a dump. But a prestigious program in San Francisco gives guest artists scavenging rights and a studio space to come up with new creations.
HONG KONG SWIM (SUN) - 1,800 swimmers aged between 12 and 50 participate in the annual cross-harbor swim, from Kowloon island to Hong Kong island.
MUSLIM PILGRIMAGE (SUN) - Some 2.5 million Muslims are expected to perform the hajj, the annual pilgrimage that is the one-in-a-lifetime duty of all able-bodied Muslims.
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AP Broadcast, Washington
