Iran’s foreign minister says he expects a new round of talks with world powers on the country’s nuclear program to begin April 13, but that a venue has not been set. Ali Akbar Salehi told state media Wednesday that a site will be set in the next few days for the meeting with the five […]
US, Pakistani Generals to Hold First Talks Since November Missile Strike
Posted March 28th, 2012 at 4:45 am (UTC-5)
Pakistan’s army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is to hold his first meeting with U.S. commanders since the November airstrike on a border post killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. Pakistani officials say he will meet with General James Mattis and General James Allen outside Islamabad. Wednesday’s talks are likely to focus on the November missile strike, […]
ECOWAS Threatens Sanctions, Military Intervention in Mali
Posted March 28th, 2012 at 4:05 am (UTC-5)
The West African group ECOWAS is threatening sanctions and a possible military response to the coup by renegade soldiers last week in Mali. ECOWAS said Tuesday it would send a delegation of at least five heads of state within the next 48 hours to try to negotiate a return to the country’s constitutional, elected leadership. […]
Reports: Indian Police Round UpTibetan Exiles Before Hu Visit
Posted March 28th, 2012 at 3:30 am (UTC-5)
Police in New Delhi are reportedly cracking down on the city’s Tibetan population, after a Tibetan exile set himself on fire this week to protest a scheduled 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 […]
Rights Group: Afghan Women Jailed for Escaping Abusive Husbands
Posted March 28th, 2012 at 3:25 am (UTC-5)
A new report by Human Rights Watch says more than 400 women in Afghanistan are in jail for trying to escape abusive husbands and forced marriages. The report says the women who seek to run away from such misery are frequently accused of adultery and imprisoned for so-called “moral crimes,” while their abusers walk free. […]
AU Joins US, UN in Condemning Sudan-South Sudan Violence
Posted March 28th, 2012 at 2:45 am (UTC-5)
The African Union has joined the United Nations and the United States in condemning the “escalating” military violence between Sudan and South Sudan, which this week included air strikes and ground attacks. In a statement late Tuesday, A.U. chairman Jean Ping called for both sides to respect their recently signed agreements and said any disputes […]
Panetta: Polls Cannot Dictate Afghan War Strategy
Posted March 28th, 2012 at 2:45 am (UTC-5)
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says opinion polls cannot determine the war in Afghanistan. Panetta, attending security talks in Ottawa with Canadian and Mexican defense chiefs, says the United States would be in “deep trouble” if it fought wars by surveys. He says the Pentagon has to operate based on what it believes is the […]
ECOWAS Threatens Sanctions, Military Intervention in Mali
Posted March 28th, 2012 at 2:40 am (UTC-5)
The West African group ECOWAS is threatening sanctions and a possible military response to the coup by renegade soldiers last week in Mali. ECOWAS said Tuesday it would send a delegation of at least five heads of state within the next 48 hours to try to negotiate a return to the country’s constitutional, elected leadership. […]
EU Leaders Urge Pyongyang to Abandon Missile Launch
Posted March 28th, 2012 at 2:15 am (UTC-5)
European Union leaders are calling on North Korea to abandon its planned rocket launch and dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Following a Wednesday meeting in Seoul with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said he was “gravely concerned” about Pyongyang’s plan to launch a satellite into orbit next month. “We […]
Syria Accepts Envoy Peace Plan But Fighting Persists
Posted March 28th, 2012 at 2:00 am (UTC-5)
Syria’s acceptance of a cease-fire drawn up by United Nations envoy Kofi Annan is being greeted with skepticism by Western diplomats and Syrian opposition figures, as fighting continued between government forces and rebels. Opposition members accuse Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of agreeing to the plan to stall for time as his troops make a renewed […]
