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Tibetan Activists Seek Spotlight at BRICS Summit

Posted March 28th, 2012 at 8:20 am (UTC-5)
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India-based Tibetan activists are taking to the streets of New Delhi, hoping to use this week’s BRICS summit – and the presence in India of Chinese President Hu Jintao – to call attention to their grievances against Chinese rule. The protesters, who live in India along with their exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, will […]

Top US, Pakistani Generals to Hold First Talks Since Deadly Cross-Border Strike

Posted March 28th, 2012 at 8:10 am (UTC-5)
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Pakistan’s army chief is to hold his first meeting with top U.S. commanders since a November NATO airstrike on a border post killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani will meet with the head of U.S. Central Command, General James Mattis, and the NATO commander in Afghanistan, General James Allen, at Pakistani army headquarters […]

Tags: , , , Posted in South Asia

Kazakh Authorities Blame Fugitive Banker for Foiled Terror Plot

Posted March 28th, 2012 at 8:05 am (UTC-5)
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Authorities in Kazakhstan say they thwarted a plot to carry out terrorist bombings planned for last Saturday in the commercial capital, Almaty. The general prosecutor’s office Wednesday gave few details on how it uncovered the plot. It blames associates of fugitive banker Mukhtar Ablyazov. Investigators say the alleged terrorists planned to set off bombs in […]

Tags: , , , Posted in South Asia

Kerry: US Senate May Take Up Magnitsky Bill Targeting Russian Officials

Posted March 28th, 2012 at 7:50 am (UTC-5)
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U.S. Senator John Kerry says a Senate committee may take up a bill imposing sanctions on Russian officials involved in the 2009 prison death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. Kerry, a Democrat who heads the Foreign Relations Committee, said Tuesday he would like to put it on the agenda when the Senate returns from recess next […]

Tags: , , , , Posted in Economy, Europe

Final Supreme Court Debate Over Landmark US Health Care Law

Posted March 28th, 2012 at 7:35 am (UTC-5)
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The U.S. Supreme Court will spend a third and final day Wednesday hearing arguments about whether the entire U.S. health care reform law should survive if a key provision is ruled unconstitutional. Tuesday’s debate focused on the so-called “individual mandate,” requiring every American to purchase health insurance or face a financial penalty. Supporters say it […]

Tags: , , , , Posted in US

Reports: Indian Police Round UpTibetan Exiles Before Hu Visit

Posted March 28th, 2012 at 6:50 am (UTC-5)
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Police in New Delhi are cracking down on the city’s Tibetan population, after a Tibetan exile set himself on fire this week to protest a visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao. Indian media say hundreds of Tibetan activists were detained or confined to their homes Tuesday as part of “preventative measures” aimed at stopping another […]

Tags: , , , , , Posted in East Asia Pacific

Arab League Weighs Syria Peace Plan

Posted March 28th, 2012 at 6:10 am (UTC-5)
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Arab League foreign ministers are expected to back special envoy Kofi Annan’s plan to end the crisis in Syria, a day after President Bashar al-Assad’s government accepted the proposal. The foreign ministers are meeting amid heavy security in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, where Arab leaders will hold a summit on Thursday. The Arab League suspended […]

Tags: , , , Posted in Middle East

Burma’s Parliament Rejects Funding for Human Rights Commission

Posted March 28th, 2012 at 5:50 am (UTC-5)
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The future of Burma’s new human-rights commission is uncertain after parliament cut off funding for the organization, which was established last year amid a wave of democratic reforms. The Burmese parliament refused this month to approve a budget for the government-appointed National Commission for Human Rights, saying its creation by presidential decree did not conform […]

Kazakh Authorities Blame Fugutive Banker for Foiled Terror Plot

Posted March 28th, 2012 at 5:40 am (UTC-5)
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Authorities in Kazakhstan say they have thwarted a plot to carry out terrorist bomings planned for last Saturday in the commercial capital, Almaty The general prosecutor’s office is giving few details on how it uncovered the plot. It blames associates of fugitive banker Mukhtar Ablyazov The alleged terrorists would have set off bombs in city […]

Tags: , Posted in South Asia

Burma Announces Currency Exchange Overhaul

Posted March 28th, 2012 at 5:30 am (UTC-5)
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The Burmese government says it will undertake a major overhaul of its currency system as part of its program to modernize the nation’s moribund economy. The official New Light of Myanmar newspaper said Wednesday the central bank will implement a managed floating exchange rate effective April 1, the same day parliamentary by-elections will be held. […]