Somalia’s president has declared a famine in his drought-stricken country and called for more international help to deal with the crisis. While touring a displaced-persons camp in the capital, Mogadishu, on Tuesday, President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said food has become so scarce that there is “in fact a famine” in his country. The president […]
Zimbabwe Drops Corruption Charges Against Energy Minister
Posted July 19th, 2011 at 11:35 am (UTC-5)
Prosecutors in Zimbabwe have dropped corruption charges against Energy Minister Elton Mangoma, a top aide of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. The decision Monday comes after Mangoma was acquitted last month on other charges he bypassed governmental procedures by purchasing gasoline from a South African firm. Prosecutors said the more recent charges were dropped because they […]
Taiwan Report Warns of Growing Chinese Military Advantage
Posted July 19th, 2011 at 4:40 am (UTC-5)
Taiwan says it is falling further behind in its race to keep up with China’s rapidly expanding military capability. In a biennial defense white paper published Tuesday, Taiwan says China is already capable of imposing a naval blockade around Taiwan and seizing Taiwan-controlled offshore islands. It says the balance of power is expected to continue […]
Chinese VP Pledges Accelerated Development in Tibet
Posted July 19th, 2011 at 1:20 am (UTC-5)
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping pledged Tuesday to speed up the economic development of Tibet, saying that is the key to resolving all issues in the distinctive Himalayan territory. Xi was speaking at a ceremony in the capital, Lhasa, to mark the 60th anniversary of Chinese rule in Tibet. China refers to the 1951 takeover […]
Venezuela’s Chavez in Cuba to Begin Cancer Treatment
Posted July 18th, 2011 at 8:35 am (UTC-5)
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived in Cuba late Saturday to begin chemotherapy, after undergoing surgery last month to remove a cancerous tumor. Before boarding his plane in Caracas, Mr. Chavez said he was going away for a few days, but the length of his stay in Cuba is not known. Earlier in the day, President […]
Security Issues Top ASEAN Agenda as Diplomats Arrive in Bali
Posted July 18th, 2011 at 3:50 am (UTC-5)
Southeast Asian diplomats have begun arriving in Indonesia for a regional conference that is expected to dwell on security issues, including disputes in the South China Sea. Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations open their annual meeting in Bali Tuesday, and then invite China, Japan and South Korea to join them Thursday […]
Clinton in Geece for talks on Economy
Posted July 16th, 2011 at 7:25 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived in Greece for two days of talks with government officials that are expected to focus on the country’s economic crisis. Clinton arrived Saturday, after wrapping up a trip to Turkey. She is to meet Sunday with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou. A senior official traveling with Clinton […]
Libya’s Leader Urges Supporters to Take On Rebels
Posted July 16th, 2011 at 3:55 pm (UTC-5)
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has urged his supporters to march to the rebel-held city of Benghazi and the oil port of Brega. His comments were carried on Libyan state television Saturday in what was described as an address to supporters in the western city of Ziwiyah. Meanwhile, rebels said Saturday that landmines and shelling by […]
Obama, Republicans Still Wrangling Over US Debt
Posted July 15th, 2011 at 4:15 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama and opposition Republicans called on each other to offer “serious” plans to solve the nation’s financial problems on Friday. In a televised news conference, Mr. Obama said again he is willing to consider cuts in popular social programs including pensions and health care for the elderly, and aid to veterans. In […]
US Inflation Eases
Posted July 15th, 2011 at 4:00 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. consumer prices dropped two-tenths of a percent in June, largely because of a decline in the cost of oil. Friday’s report from the Labor Department says outside the volatile areas of energy and food, prices in the overall economy rose a modest 1.6 percent over the past year. A separate report says U.S. consumers […]
