Manufacturing activity in China contracted in November for the first time in nearly three years, as countries around the world, struggling with debt and slowing growth, bought fewer Chinese exports. The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing says its monthly purchasing managers index (PMI) fell to 49 in October. It is the first contraction since […]
China Manufacturing Contracts In November
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 8:15 am (UTC-5)
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Pakistanis Kidnapped in Afghanistan
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 8:15 am (UTC-5)
Police say gunmen have kidnapped seven Pakistani engineers working in eastern Afghanistan. The engineers were working on a hospital construction project in the Pul-e-alam district of Logar province. Authorities say the Pakistanis were abducted at gunpoint Wednesday as they returned home after work. No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. Elsewhere in Afghanistan, a […]
Attorney for Strauss-Kahn Accuser Rejects Upcoming Book as “Fantasy”
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 7:35 am (UTC-5)
Attorneys for a hotel maid who accused former IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of raping her have dismissed accusations against her in a new book. The French author of the book, Michel Taubmann, portrays maid Nafissatou Diallo as part of a conspiracy to derail Strauss-Kahn’s political aspirations. Before his May arrest in New York City, Strauss-Kahn […]
Syria Frees Hundreds of Prisoners, Continues Deadly Crackdown
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 7:20 am (UTC-5)
An Arab League committee charged with implementing sanctions against Syria is going after the country’s rich and powerful. The committee Thursday released a list of 17 Syrians banned from traveling to Arab states, including the brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the country’s richest businessman and top Cabinet ministers. Officials say the list and other […]
Report Charges Saudis with ‘New Wave of Repression’
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 6:45 am (UTC-5)
A human rights group claims Saudi Arabia is rounding up protesters and would-be reformers to make sure the country does not get swept up in the Arab Spring. Amnesty International Thursday accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out a “new wave of repression” as part of a crackdown on anti-government protesters. Amnesty’s interim Middle East director, […]
A Look At Burma’s Recent Political Reforms
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 6:45 am (UTC-5)
As U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton holds unprecedented talks with government officials and opposition leaders in Burma, here is a look back at some of the democratic reforms in the country during the past eight months: March 30: Burma ends decades of military rule, inaugurating a nominally civilian government that consists of many retired […]
Clinton Urges Burma to End “Illicit” Ties to North Korea
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 6:40 am (UTC-5)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on Burma to end any “illicit” military ties to North Korea, and says more work must be done before the United States can consider lifting sanctions. Clinton said Thursday during a landmark visit to Burma that its government must respect international consensus against the spread of nuclear […]
Britain Ratcheting Up the Pressure on Iran
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 6:30 am (UTC-5)
Britain wants to further isolate Iran’s financial sector, accusing Tehran of suppressing human rights within its own borders and helping to suppress human rights in Syria. British Foreign Secretary William Hague Thursday accused Iran of helping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad suppress anti-government protesters. Speaking outside a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels, Hague […]
Despite Efforts to Curb Graft, China’s Image Still Tarnished By Corruption
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 6:20 am (UTC-5)
An index of global perceptions of corruption indicates China is still viewed as corrupt despite efforts to curb official graft. The Berlin-based group Transparency International scored 183 countries on a 10-point scale, with zero being very corrupt and 10 being the least corrupt. China ranked 75th on the corruption index, scoring 3.6 on the ten-point […]
New, Deadly Attacks Rattle Iraqi Province
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 6:05 am (UTC-5)
Iraqi militants are making their presence felt in the country’s northeast, killing at least 17 people in two separate attacks. Officials in Diyala province say a car bomb went off early Thursday as shoppers were starting to arrive at a market in the town of Khalis, 80 kilometers north of Baghdad. The blast killed 10 […]
