Stay tuned ... The news doesn't take a vacation, even if you do. Here are some stories sure to stay in the headlines this summer.

AuthorSmith, Patricia
PositionCurrent events

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Whether you're lying on the beach or working at a fastfood joint, summer vacation is a really nice break. But even though you get to put your textbooks away for a few months, the news just keeps on coming.

Here are the big news stories that are sure to remain in the headlines.

Revolution in the Mideast

With autocratic rulers ousted in Egypt and Tunisia and protests continuing around the region, it's been a tumultuous six months in the Middle East, and it's likely to be an eventful summer.

A rebellion in Libya against strongman Muammar el-Qaddafi, in power since 1969, has evolved into what is basically a civil war. The U.S. and NATO are enforcing a United Nations-approved no-fly zone in an effort to protect civilians and bolster the anti-Qaddafi rebels.

At the same time, demonstrations against authoritarian regimes in Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen continue and have resulted in sometimes violent crackdowns.

In Egypt, following the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, who ruled for 30 years, parliamentary elections are scheduled for September, with a presidential election expected soon after. That means Egyptians will experience their first real political campaigns this summer.

The big question for the entire region is, what kind of governments will replace the authoritarian ones? This is already an issue in Egypt, which has long been a key U.S. ally. In April, a 25-year-old Egyptian blogger was sentenced to three years in jail for criticizing the military, raising concerns about how serious the new military leadership is about transitioning to a freer, more democratic Egypt.

There's also the question of whether the tweeting 20-somethings who led Egypt's revolution will have a role in the new government-and fear that the revolution could be hijacked by radical Muslim groups, as happened in Iran in 1979.

While the U.S. has supported the democratic wave in the Middle East, Washington has two critical concerns in the months ahead: Will Iran, which the U.S. and the U.N. are trying to stop from developing nuclear weapons, take advantage of the turmoil to spread its influence in the region? And will A1 Qaeda, the Muslim terrorist group behind the 9/11 attacks on the U.S., find new havens amid the upheaval?

Crisis in Japan

The extent of the damage caused by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit northeastern Japan in March is still unfolding, but it's clear that the country is facing a...

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