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Pakistan Dismisses Calls to Attend Afghan Conference

Posted November 30th, 2011 at 3:25 pm (UTC-5)
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Pakistan is dismissing international calls to reconsider its boycott of next week’s international conference on Afghanistan. The government decided not to attend the December 5 summit in Bonn in protest of Saturday’s deadly NATO air assault that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at military posts near the Afghan border. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani briefed […]

Tags: , , Posted in South Asia

Clinton Makes Landmark Visit to Burma

Posted November 30th, 2011 at 3:20 pm (UTC-5)
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U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has begun a landmark trip to Burma, becoming the first chief U.S. diplomat to visit the country in 50 years. Clinton arrived in the remote Burmese capital, Naypyitaw, on Wednesday from South Korea, where she told reporters she will determine for herself the current Burmese government’s intentions for continuing […]

Tags: , , , , Posted in East Asia Pacific

Council of Europe Committee to Prevent Torture Visits Tymoshenko in Kyiv Prison

Posted November 30th, 2011 at 2:50 pm (UTC-5)
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Representatives from the Council of Europe’s Committee to Prevent Torture have met with jailed Ukrainian opposition leader and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Wednesday’s meeting, which reportedly lasted two hours, took place in an interrogation room in the Kyiv prison, where Ms. Tymoshenko is serving a seven-year sentence for abuse of power. The Council of […]

Tags: , Posted in Europe

Britain Steps Up Pressure on Iran After Attacks

Posted November 30th, 2011 at 2:45 pm (UTC-5)
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Britain has ordered the immediate closure of the Iranian embassy in London and has closed its embassy in Tehran, following a mob attack Tuesday on British embassy compounds in the Iranian capital. British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced the decision in parliament Wednesday. He said Iran’s diplomatic staff has been ordered to leave the United […]

Tags: , , , , Posted in Middle East

Egypt To Announce Election Results Thursday

Posted November 30th, 2011 at 2:40 pm (UTC-5)
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Egyptian officials say they will announce results of the country’s first stage of parliamentary elections on Thursday, a day later than originally planned. State media reports announced the change on Wednesday but did not specify what caused the delay. Earlier Wednesday, Egypt’s powerful Muslim Brotherhood said its bloc was in the lead following voting on […]

Tags: , , Posted in Middle East

Key Central Banks Act to Support Global Financial System; Stocks Surge

Posted November 30th, 2011 at 2:00 pm (UTC-5)
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  The world’s major central banks took coordinated action Wednesday to support the global financial system, sending stock markets soaring. The U.S. Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Bank of England and the central banks in Japan, Canada and Switzerland said that starting next Monday they are making it a half percentage point cheaper […]

ICC Charges Former Ivory Coast Leader Gbagbo

Posted November 30th, 2011 at 1:45 pm (UTC-5)
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Former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo on Monday will make his first appearance before the International Criminal Court, which has charged him with four counts of crimes against humanity. The ICC says the hearing is to ensure the former Ivorian leader is informed of his rights and the charges against him. The Hague-based court says […]

Tags: , , , , Posted in Africa

China Wants to Retain Burma Ties Amid Western Influence

Posted November 30th, 2011 at 1:40 pm (UTC-5)
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China says it is open to Burma seeking closer ties with the West, but not at the expense of Beijing’s interests. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman (Hong Lei) said Wednesday Beijing welcomes Burma’s moves to enhance contact and improve relations with Western nations. But China’s state-run newspaper Global Times, known for its nationalist stance, said […]

Investment Forum Seeks New Business for Haiti

Posted November 30th, 2011 at 1:30 pm (UTC-5)
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Business leaders are discussing new possibilities for Haiti at a conference designed to bring more money and jobs to the impoverished Caribbean nation. The two-day Invest in Haiti Forum in the capital, Port-au-Prince, is aimed at highlighting business opportunities in the country. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) organized the event along with the Haitian government […]

Tags: , , Posted in US

Belarus Sentences Minsk Metro Bombers to Death

Posted November 30th, 2011 at 1:30 pm (UTC-5)
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The Belarus Supreme Court has sentenced two men to death for their part in a deadly bombing of the Minsk metro station in April that killed 15 people and injured more than 200 others. The judge said Wednesday that Dmitry Konovalov and Vladislav Kovalyov present an extreme danger to society and thus require the ultimate […]

Tags: , , , , Posted in Europe