The daughter of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko says her mother is being ill-treated in prison, but she remains strong in spirit. Eugenia Tymoshenko testified Wednesday in Washington before a U.S. Senate subcommittee on European affairs at a hearing on Ukraine. She said that during visits to her mother in prison she has to […]
Tymoshenko’s Daughter: Former Ukrainian PM Ill-Treated In Prison
Syrian Death Toll Mounts as Diplomatic War Heats Up
Syria’s death toll continues to mount as Western and Arab diplomats maintain their push for immediate United Nations action to stop the country’s escalating political crisis. Opposition activists said at least 59 people were killed across the war-torn country on Wednesday. One activist group, the Local Coordination Committees, said the figure includes 36 civilians and […]
Pakistan: ‘No Hidden Agenda’ in Afghanistan
Pakistan says it has no “hidden agenda” in Afghanistan, and has dismissed a recently leaked classified NATO report that accuses it of secretly assisting the Afghan Taliban. The report alleges that Taliban insurgents are targeting coalition troops in Afghanistan with the help of Pakistan’s military intelligence agency, the ISI. On Wednesday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry called […]
US: Obama Proposing Home Loan Relief
U.S. President Barack Obama is offering beleaguered American homeowners a chance to refinance their housing loans to take advantage of near-record-low borrowing costs. Mr. Obama said Wednesday the value of millions of homes has sharply fallen during the country’s economic downturn, leaving many homeowners with loans that are bigger than the value of their houses […]
US Republican Presidential Race Moves West
U.S. presidential contender Mitt Romney is marching forward with his reclaimed front-runner status into a series of smaller nominating contests starting later this week in Nevada. The Romney campaign will concentrate its efforts Wednesday on two upcoming caucus states, Minnesota and Nevada, which will hold the next nominating contest Saturday. The former Massachusetts governor had […]
Pakistan Dismisses Allegations of Afghan Taliban Support
Pakistan has dismissed a leaked NATO report that accuses it of secretly assisting the Taliban. According to the classified report, Pakistan’s military intelligence agency, the ISI, is supporting the Afghan Taliban, and the insurgents believe victory is inevitable once NATO troops leave in 2014. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry called the report’s findings “frivolous” and said Islamabad […]
Russia Says Resolution on Syria Has No Chance of UN Approval
A Russian diplomat says a Western and Arab-backed plan to resolve Syria’s escalating government-rebel conflict has no chance of U.N. Security Council approval because Moscow believes the document does not rule out foreign military intervention. Russia is a veto-wielding Security Council member and objects to Western and Arab calls for the body to pass a […]
UN Chief Calls for Calm in Senegal
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is appealing for calm in Senegal, where riot police clashed with protesters demanding President Abdoulaye Wade not run for a third term. In a statement late Tuesday, Mr. Ban urged all sides to refrain from violence and “pursue peaceful means to resolve electoral grievances.” Thousands of Senegalese, mostly young people, staged […]
Ban Says Security Council Understands “Urgency” of Syria Situation
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the Security Council understands the “urgency” of the situation in Syria, as Arab and Western nations urge the Council to adopt a resolution calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down. After a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Wednesday, Mr. Ban said that all violence in Syria must […]
Report: Chinese Manufacturing Rises in January
China’s manufacturing sector slightly improved in January for the second consecutive month, suggesting the world’s second-biggest economy will not suffer a major impact from the still-sluggish global economy. Figures released Wednesday by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing indicate the official purchasing managers index (PMI) rose to 50.5 in January, barely exceeding December’s 50.3 […]