Afghan President Hamid Karzai is urging militants to allow health teams to vaccinate children against polio, after his government said the number of cases of the disease in the country had sharply increased. Mr. Karzai’s office said Tuesday that the latest Health Ministry report shows a three-fold rise in the number of polio cases last […]
Karzai Urges Afghan Militants to Allow Polio Vaccination
Clinton, Ouattara Discuss Reconcilation in Ivory Coast
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has held talks with Ivory Coast’s president about efforts to heal divisions left by the country’s disputed 2010 election. Clinton met with President Alassane Ouattara Tuesday in Abidjan, during the first visit to Ivory Coast by a U.S. secretary of state in more than 25 years. The secretary said […]
US Senators Predict No Clashes with China in Asia
Two leading U.S. senators say Washington will continue to arm its allies in the Pacific region amid maritime disputes with China, but that confrontation with Beijing is not likely. Senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman made their comments Tuesday as they started a three-day visit to Manila, where they and two other U.S. senators are […]
Avalanches Kill 14 in Afghanistan
Avalanches have killed at least 14 people in a mountainous region of northeastern Afghanistan. Authorities said Tuesday that heavy snowfall has also blocked roads in Badakhshan province, making many districts inaccessible. Rescue teams were working to get to stranded residents. Heavy snowfall and avalanches are common during Afghanistan’s harsh winters. In 2010, avalanches killed more […]
Clinton Meets With Ivory Coast President
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has held talks with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara about challenges that remain in the country following its disputed presidential election. Clinton met with Mr. Ouattara Tuesday at the presidential palace in Abidjan during the first visit to Ivory Coast by a U.S. secretary of state in more than […]
Philippine Police Arrest Suspect in Kidnapping of US Missionary Couple
Philippine police say they have arrested an Islamic militant suspected of involvement in the 2001 kidnapping of an American missionary couple. Security officials said Tuesday the man, known as “Abu Ismael,” was captured on the remote southern island of Basilan. They said he is a member of the Abu Sayyaf terror group, which is linked […]
Iran Criticizes Saudi Comments on Boosting Oil Exports
Iran has criticized Saudi Arabia for saying it could increase its oil output if Western sanctions cut oil exports from Iran. Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Tuesday in an interview with Iran’s Arabic language al-Alam television channel that such signals are “not friendly.” He was responding to comments by Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi, […]
Eurozone Sees Drop In December Inflation Rate
The eurozone saw a slightly larger than expected drop in the December inflation rate, down to 2.7 percent. Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics office, predicted the December rate would drop to 2.8 percent from November’s rate of 3 percent for the 17 eurozone member nations. The Eurozone Central Bank has a target of less than […]
China GDP Grows at Slowest Rate Since 2009
China’s economy grew at its slowest pace in two-and-a-half years during the final quarter of 2011, as Beijing fought chronically high inflation and faced weakened demand for its exports. The growth of China’s gross domestic product in the fourth quarter slowed to 8.9 percent – the slowest expansion since the second quarter of 2009. But […]
Ethiopian Airlines Rejects Lebanese Report About 2010 Crash
Ethiopian Airlines has rejected a draft report by Lebanese authorities that blames pilot error for a deadly 2010 plane crash. Airline officials said Tuesday the report is biased and incomplete, and that they believe the plane went down because of an explosion while it was in the air. The Boeing 737 plunged into the Mediterranean […]