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International Donors Pledge $16 Billion to Afghanistan

Posted July 8th, 2012 at 3:00 pm (UTC-5)
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International donors meeting in Tokyo have pledged $16 billion in development aid for Afghanistan over the next four years. The amount is in line with the $4 billion a year that Afghan President Hamid Karzai requested at Sunday’s conference. In his opening remarks, Mr. Karzai acknowledged that endemic corruption in Afghanistan has undermined previous aid […]

Tags: , , , , Posted in South Asia

Bombs Kill 14 Civilians in Southern Afghanistan

Posted July 8th, 2012 at 2:55 pm (UTC-5)
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Afghan authorities say two roadside bombs have killed 14 civilians in the south of the country. Officials in Kandahar province said a minivan ran over one bomb in the Arghistan district. Soon after, civilians riding on a tractor arrived to help the wounded and struck a second bomb on the road. It is not known […]

Tags: , , , Posted in South Asia

Annan in Syria for Talks with Assad

Posted July 8th, 2012 at 2:10 pm (UTC-5)
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((new info in graf 5; adds video of Annan arrival ) United Nations special envoy Kofi Annan has arrived in Damascus for talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Mr. Annan’s visit Sunday comes the day after the former U.N. chief admitted that the international efforts to stem the bloodshed in Syria have failed. Mr. Annan […]

Tags: , , , Posted in Middle East

Egypt’s Morsi Orders Parliament to Reconvene

Posted July 8th, 2012 at 12:55 pm (UTC-5)
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Egypt’s new president has ordered the country’s Islamist-led parliament to reconvene, in defiance of the military’s dismissal of the assembly based on last month’s Supreme Court ruling. President Mohamed Morsi issued a decree Sunday ordering lawmakers to start meeting again. He also ordered that new parliamentary elections will be held within 60 days of the […]

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International Donors Pledge $16 Billion to Afghanistan

Posted July 8th, 2012 at 12:40 pm (UTC-5)
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International donors meeting in Tokyo have pledged $16 billion in development aid for Afghanistan over the next four years. The amount is in line with the $4 billion a year Afghan President Hamid Karzai requested at Sunday’s conference. In his opening remarks, Mr. Karzai acknowledged that endemic corruption in Afghanistan has undermined previous aid efforts, […]

Tags: , , , , Posted in South Asia

Annan in Syria for Talks with Assad

Posted July 8th, 2012 at 11:40 am (UTC-5)
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United Nations special envoy Kofi Annan has arrived in Syria for talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Mr. Annan’s visit Sunday comes the day after the former U.N. chief admitted that the international efforts to stem the bloodshed in Syria have failed. Mr. Annan is the architect of the most prominent international plan to end […]

Tags: , , , Posted in Middle East

DR Congo Rebels Seize Town After Army Flees

Posted July 8th, 2012 at 11:30 am (UTC-5)
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Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo say they have seized a town in the eastern part of the country after the army fled their advance. Representatives for the M23 rebel movement said they took over Rutshuru around midday Sunday without any fighting. The town lies on the main road north from the North Kivu […]

Tags: , , Posted in Africa

Russian Flood Toll Hits 150; Putin Orders Investigation

Posted July 8th, 2012 at 10:45 am (UTC-5)
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The death toll rose to at least 150 on Sunday from severe flooding in southern Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the region and ordered an investigation into whether a slow response by officials in Krasnodar could have contributed to the deaths. State television showed Mr. Putin speaking with emergency ministry officials, who assured him […]

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Ruling Party Wins E. Timor Poll

Posted July 8th, 2012 at 10:20 am (UTC-5)
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The party of East Timor’s prime minister has won the parliamentary elections — but without an overall majority. With all the ballots counted from Saturday’s poll, the National Council of Timorese Resistance party, led by former rebel leader and current prime minister Xanana Gusmao, had just over 36 percent of the vote. The results are […]

Tags: , , Posted in East Asia Pacific

US, Pakistan Seek Improved Relations

Posted July 8th, 2012 at 9:15 am (UTC-5)
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U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed hope that Pakistan’s reopening of NATO supply routes into Afghanistan will lead to better relations with Washington. Clinton met Sunday in Tokyo with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and told reporters that the two countries are putting past difficulties behind them to focus on the future […]

Tags: , , , Posted in South Asia