United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed a special envoy for Africa’s Sahel region who will focus on the troubled nation of Mali. Former Italian prime minister and European Commission president Romano Prodi was named to the newly-created post on Monday. In a statement, Mr. Ban said Prodi will help shape and mobilize international response […]
UN: Pakistan First in Region to Launch Pneumonia Vaccine
Posted October 9th, 2012 at 1:05 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations says Pakistan is the first country in South Asia to introduce a vaccine to protect Pakistani children from pneumonia. Prime Minister Yousuf Raja Pervez Ashraf announced the launch of a new vaccination campaign Tuesday as part of a partnership between the government and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization or GAVI […]
Boat Capsizes Off French Territory Mayotte
Posted October 9th, 2012 at 12:40 pm (UTC-5)
The U.N. refugee agency says six people have been confirmed dead and 10 others are missing after a boat capsized Monday off the French territory of Mayotte. Agency spokesman Adrian Edwards said Tuesday that this is the second such incident in a month off Mayotte, a target for asylum-seekers sailing from the Comoros islands. Edwards […]
Top US Official Welcomes India’s Economic Reforms
Posted October 9th, 2012 at 12:35 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has welcomed India’s decision to pursue reforms aimed at stimulating the country’s lagging economy. He said in New Delhi Tuesday the reforms are “very promising” and will help provide a platform for stronger economic growth. “India has achieved remarkable economic success in the last 15 years and the recent reforms […]
Former US Football Coach Gets Decades in Prison for Child Sex Abuse
Posted October 9th, 2012 at 12:10 pm (UTC-5)
Former U.S. college football coach Jerry Sandusky has been sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison after being found guilty earlier this year of sexually abusing young boys. The sentence, handed down by a judge in Pennsylvania Tuesday, means the 68-year-old retired Pennsylvania State University assistant coach will likely spend the rest of his […]
Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream Promise to Look West
Posted October 9th, 2012 at 11:55 am (UTC-5)
Georgian officials preparing for the nation’s first peaceful transition of power since breaking away from the former Soviet Union are promising the change will not impact the country’s desire to move even closer to the West. Georgian Dream coalition leader, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, whose party won last week’s parliamentary elections, met in Tbilisi Tuesday with […]
IMF Predicts Slower Economic Growth
Posted October 9th, 2012 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
Experts at the International Monetary Fund say the global economy will expand more slowly this year, while the risks of serious economic problems are growing. The IMF has cut its global growth forecast slightly to just 3.3 percent. The glum prediction caused many stock markets to decline in Tuesday trading. It comes as key economic […]
Taliban Gunmen Shoot Pakistani Teen Activist
Posted October 9th, 2012 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
Taliban gunmen in Pakistan have shot and wounded a 14-year-old child activist who became famous for speaking out against the militant group. Malala Yousufzai was shot twice while boarding her school bus Tuesday in Swat Valley. Witnesses said gunmen who came to the school asked for Yousufzai by name before opening fire. She was shot […]
Azerbaijan Jails 22 in Alleged Iran-Backed Terror Plot
Posted October 9th, 2012 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
A closed court in Azerbaijan has sentenced 22 Azerbaijani citizens to prison for assisting Iran in allegedly plotting terrorist attacks on U.S. and Israeli targets in the country. The defendants received sentences Tuesday ranging from three to 13 years imprisonment after authorities accused them of planning attacks in cooperation with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Targets for […]
Merkel Makes First Visit to Greece Since Debt Crisis
Posted October 9th, 2012 at 11:30 am (UTC-5)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Greece the sacrifices it makes toward cutting spending will pay off, an unpopular message to tens of thousands who protested her visit to the country. Ms. Merkel made her remarks after meeting Tuesday with conservative Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras in Athens. Her five-hour stop in Greece was her first […]
