The U.S. Central Bank says the American economy slowed in the first half of the year, but has decided against any immediate policy changes. After a two-day meeting, Federal Reserve policy makers said they will “closely monitor” the country’s economic performance in the coming weeks and will adopt new stimulus measures if they conclude they […]
US Central Bank Decides Against New Economic Stimulus
Clinton Urges African Leaders to Embrace Democracy
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned African leaders they must respect their people’s rights or be destined to lose power. Clinton spoke Wednesday at a university in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, her first stop on a 11-day African tour that will take her to at least six countries. The secretary noted Africans are demanding […]
China Trade and Investment Grows in Africa
Hillary Clinton’s visit to Africa this week comes against a background of rapidly rising Chinese trade and investment with the continent. Analysts say a major goal of the U.S. secretary of state’s trip is to make sure the United States is not left behind in the competition for trade and influence. China surpassed the United […]
Assad Urges Army to Intensify Fight, Fails to Appear in Public
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has failed to appear in public to mark his country’s Armed Forces Day, instead issuing a written statement urging security forces to “step up the fight” against rebels trying to oust him. In the statement, Mr. Assad says his troops are engaged in what he calls a “heroic” battle whose outcome […]
Investors Await US Central Bank Decisions
Investors worldwide are watching U.S. central bank policy makers Wednesday to see whether they take new action to try to boost the sluggish American economy. Officials at the Federal Reserve were set to give their assessment of the world’s largest economy after poring over economic trends at a two-day meeting. But economists surveyed by financial […]
Netanyahu: Threats Not Convincing Iran to Stop Developing Nuclear Weapons
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says U.S. and Israeli warnings of a military strike have not convinced Iran that they are “serious about stopping” Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. “Right now the Iranian regime believes that the international community does not have the will to stop its nuclear program. This must change and it must […]
Madagascar Sets Presidential Election Date
Madagascar is set to begin presidential elections next May, a key step in ending the political crisis resulting from a 2009 coup. The election commission said Wednesday the first round of voting will take place May 8, 2013, with the second round taking place on July 3. The commission said parliamentary elections will also take […]
ECOWAS Ready to Intervene in Mali
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has renewed its pledge to send troops to Mali to help the government recapture the north from Islamist groups. ECOWAS Commission President Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo said the regional bloc is ready to deploy its standby force to Mali once the country’s interim government makes the request. The […]
Clinton Urges African Leaders to Embrace Democracy
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned African leaders they must respect their people’s rights or be destined to lose power. Clinton spoke Wednesday at a university in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, her first stop on a 11-day African tour that will take her to at least six countries. The secretary noted Africans are demanding […]
Netanyahu: Threats not Convincing Iran to Stop Developing Nuclear Weapons
Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu says U.S. and Israeli warnings of a military strike have not convinced Iran that they are “serious about stopping” Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. “Right now the Iranian regime believes that the international community does not have the will to stop its nuclear program. This must change and it must […]