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Josef Fritzl arrives for the opening of his trial on charges of incest.

Josef Fritzl arrives for the opening of his trial on charges of incest.Robert Jaeger / AFP

Fritzl pleads guilty to incest

The Austrian man accused of imprisoning his daughter for 24 years and fathering her seven children has pleaded guilty to incest charges. Josef Fritzl made the plea shortly after his trial started in the town of St. Poelten, west of Vienna. The 73-year-old suspect entered not guilty pleas on related charges of murder and enslavement. Prosecutors charged Fritzl with murder because one of the children died in infancy while in captivity.

They say the baby might have survived if Fritzl had arranged for medical care. Incest carries a maximum punishment of one year in prison, but Fritzl faces up to life imprisonment if convicted of murder. His trial opened today, and a verdict is expected by Friday. *AP

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How Iraq can pull back from the brink

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Some warn of a return to the dark days of 2006 and 2007, but Sunni political pragmatism may show a peaceful way forward. Analysis by Iraq historian Reidar Visser   How Iraq can pull back from the brink

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EDITORS NOTE: RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE -- MANDATORY CREDIT

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