US chained wounded Canadian teen: medic
May 4, 2010
Reuters
Canadian captive Omar Khadr was hooded, crying and chained to a door outside his cell in Afghanistan around the time he turned 16, a former U.S. medic testified on Monday in the Guantanamo war crimes tribunal.
The former Army medic, identified only as M, testified in a hearing to determine whether Khadr was coerced into confessing that he threw a grenade that killed a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
Khadr, now 23, was 15 when captured in a firefight at a suspected al Qaeda compound in Afghanistan in 2002 and would be the first person tri...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/us-chained-wounded-canadian-teen-medic-1
Taiwan says will not seek US help to fight wars
May 4, 2010
Reuters
Taiwan will never ask the United States to help fight a war, officials said on Monday in comments that could ease regional tension but shake views the island needs the world military superpower to battle China.
In a statement seen appeasing both Washington and Beijing, Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou had told a visiting television reporter over the weekend that the island would stand up for itself, suggesting the United States was not obligated to send help and risk its own conflict with China.
Removing U.S. military aid from th...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/taiwan-says-will-not-seek-us-help-to-fight-wars-1
US has 5,113 launch-ready nukes
May 4, 2010
Press TV
The United States has officially announced the size of its nuclear arsenal, saying it now possesses 5,113 operational nuclear weapons.
"Increasing the transparency of global nuclear stockpiles is important to non-proliferation efforts" and more progress on arms control, AFP quoted a Pentagon statement as saying on Monday.
The figure only refers to operational warheads and excludes outdated nuclear missiles and nuclear weapons slated for dismantlement, which are estimated to number around 4,600, Reuters reported, citing the figure from the Fe...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/us-has-5113-launch-ready-nukes-1
EU "concerned" by nuclear programs of North Korea, Iran
May 4, 2010
RIA Novosti
The European Union is concerned by nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy said.
North Korean Soldier"The EU remains gravely concerned by the major proliferation challenges posed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Islamic Republic of Iran, who have both continued to violate their international obligations," Catherine Ashton told the NPT review conference which opened on Monday at the UN headquarters in New York.
North Korea withd...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/eu-concerned-by-nuclear-programs-of-north-korea-iran-1
Drug war violence sweeps Mexican border state
May 4, 2010
AFP
Mexico's bloody drug wars saw a new spasm of killings late Saturday into Sunday, with 25 people fatally shot in the northern state of Chihuahua bordering the United States.
Seven of the deaths occurred in violence-plagued Ciudad Juarez, Mexico's murder capital, bringing to 62 the number of people killed in the city over the past week.
The 18 other slayings overnight included four people fatally shot by automatic weapons fire in a bar in the town of Camargo, near the state capital Chihuahua City, and two women whose bodies were found...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/drug-war-violence-sweeps-mexican-border-state-1
Iran exports to Iraq to pass $8bln in 2010: official
April 26, 2010
Iran expects exports to Iraq will exceed $8 billion in 2010, up from $6 billion in 2009, boosted by equipment and materials for the war-damaged country's reconstruction, an Iranian diplomat said on Sunday.
Shi'ite Muslim Iran is Shi'ite majority Iraq's main trading partner and has been one of the largest investors in Iraq since a U.S.-led invasion ousted Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003. Saddam led an eight-year war against Iran in the 1980s.
"Economic relations have grown since the fall of (Saddam's) regime till today," Ali Heidari, ...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/iran-exports-to-iraq-to-pass-8bln-in-2010-official-1
Thai "red shirts" vow to intensify campaign
April 26, 2010
Reuters
Anti-government protesters encamped for weeks in central Bangkok promised more aggressive measures after the government rejected their proposals to end increasingly violent protests in return for early polls.
"Red-shirt" protest leaders called on their supporters in the countryside to confront the army and police. Their backers responded by blockading police convoys in at least two areas.
The stalemate rekindled fears of more unrest and a heavier toll on Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy as more retailers shut their doors...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/thai-red-shirts-vow-to-intensify-campaign-1
Cuba challenges US to lift embargo 'even for a year'
April 26, 2010
AFP
Cuba challenged the United States Sunday to lift a decades-old trade embargo "even for a year" to test its contention that the island's leaders do not want the embargo lifted or normal relations with Washington.
The challenge by National Assembly president Ricardo Alarcon was the first official response to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's April 9 charge that Fidel Castro and his brother President Raul Castro do not want a transition to democracy or the restoration of US relations severed in 1961.
Clinton told a uni...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/cuba-challenges-us-to-lift-embargo-even-for-a-year-1
Dozens killed in clashes near Sudan's north-south border
April 26, 2010
RIA Novosti
Fifty-five members of a Darfuri tribe have been killed and at least 85 have been wounded in a clash with soldiers from Southern Sudan's army, the BBC has said, quoting a tribal spokesmen.
The fighting broke out on Friday between troops and members of the Rezeigat tribe when the tribe had been looking for new pastures for its cattle near the country's volatile north-south border, Mohammed Issa Aliou was quoted by the British broadcaster as saying.
According to BBC, Southern Sudan accused the northern government ...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/dozens-killed-in-clashes-near-sudans-north-south-border-1
Iran says to consider processing nuclear fuel abroad
April 26, 2010
Xinhua
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Sunday that Iran is willing to consider enriching uranium in other countries as suggested by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr MottakiAt a joint press conference held after meeting his Austrian counterpart Michael Spindelegger, the visiting Iranian official said his country is willing to negotiate on the issue, but details should be worked out later. He said he will discuss the issue with members of the UN Security Council.
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/iran-says-to-consider-processing-nuclear-fuel-abroad-1
Chávez Say China to Lend Venezuela $20 Billion
April 19, 2010
Simon Romero
NY Times
President Hugo Chávez said over the weekend that China had agreed to extend $20 billion in loans to Venezuela, pointing to deepening ties between the two countries as China seeks to secure oil supplies here.
The announcement of the loans follows other financing agreements with China that have softened a sharp economic downturn in Venezuela, including a $12 billion bilateral investment fund. China’s ties with Venezuela have grown increasingly warm in recent years, marked by rising Venezuelan oil exports to China, th...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/chavez-say-china-to-lend-venezuela-20-billion-1
Mexico’s Cartels Declare War on the Zetas
April 19, 2010
Drug War Chronicle
With the prohibition-related bloodshed in Mexico continuing apace, Mexican drug trafficking organizations — the so-called cartels — are engaged not only in brutal conflict but also in shifting alliances. According to reports from Mother Jones and Al Jazeera, three rival cartels have joined forces in a battle to the death with the Zetas, the former soldiers turned Gulf cartel hit-men who eventually turned on their own employers.
Citing sources from the Mexican police and the DEA, Al Jazeera reported that the Gulf, La Familia, an...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/mexicos-cartels-declare-war-on-the-zetas-1/
Poland buries President Kaczynski
April 19, 2010
RIA Novosti
Poland on Sunday said goodbye to Poland President Lech Kaczynski Funeral and his wife, Mary, who died last week in a plane crash near Smolensk in western Russia.
They were interred in Krakow's historic Wawel Cathedral, the main burial site for Polish monarchs for several centuries, in the crypt that holds Jozef_Pilsudski, a driving force behind Poland's reemergence as an independent state after World War I.
About 150,000 people thronged the streets of the city to pay their last respects, and Polish and foreign leaders including Russi...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/poland-buries-president-kaczynski-1
Iran wants foreign troops out of ME
April 19, 2010
Press TV
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the pervasive presence of US-led military forces in the Middle East is the main reason behind regional conflicts.
Ahmadinejad, speaking at a ceremony commemorating Iran's National Army Day on Sunday, said that disunity and strife among Mideast countries stems from the lingering presence of foreign coalition troops and military bases across the region.
"If foreign forces deem themselves capable of promoting security and stability, they should make themselves useful in their own countries," he a...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/iran-wants-foreign-troops-out-of-me-1
Volcano blamed for $200M daily loss
April 19, 2010
Press TV
European airlines lose $200mn per day for flight cancellations due to Iceland's volcanic activity.
Air traffic disruption caused by Iceland's volcanic activity over Europe will make the airlines lose at least $200 million per day, the industry's governing body says.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said Sunday that its members would also lose further earnings due to costly contingency plans.
"At current levels of disruption, IATA's initial and conservative estimate of the financial impact on airlines i...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/volcano-blamed-for-200m-daily-loss-1
Kyrgyz president rallies followers, warns of blood
April 13, 2010
Reuters
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev emerged from five days of hiding on Monday to address a crowd of followers in his southern stronghold, and warned of bloodshed if the new government tried to arrest him.
It was Bakiyev's first public appearance since he fled the capital on April 7 as opposition protesters seized control in the face of security forces who fired into the crowds, killing dozens.
Bakiyev struck a defiant tone as he spoke to least 2,000 supporters at a rally in his home village of Teyyit, saying his opponent...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/kyrgyz-president-rallies-followers-warns-of-blood-1
Israel ranks 6th with up to 300 nukes
April 13, 2010
Press TV
Analysts for a reputable military journal have rated Israel as the world’s sixth nuclear power, alongside Britain, with up to 300 nuclear warheads.
Citing comments by British security experts, the British Jane’s Defense Weekly has revealed that Tel Aviv is currently in possession of between 100 and 300 nuclear warheads.
The firepower was more or less equal to that of the United Kingdom, the publication said.
The armaments, it added, were deployable via land, air or sea and could be rendered “fully” combat read...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/israel-ranks-6th-with-up-to-300-nukes-1
US military playing expanded role in Pakistan
April 13, 2010
Reuters
US Special Operations Forces on a training mission in Pakistan are playing an expanded but largely unseen role in the country's counterinsurgency campaign, working with paramilitary units to "hold and build" tribal areas as militants are cleared out.
U.S. defense and administration officials say the elite trainers, who currently number more than 100, have not and are not authorized to take part in Pakistani military offensives in the semi-autonomous tribal regions, known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, or FATA, along the Afghan ...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/us-military-playing-expanded-role-in-pakistan-1
Anti-American anger grows in Afghanistan
April 13, 2010
Globe & Mail
U.S. troops fired on a crowded passenger bus on the outskirts of Kandahar city, killing four civilians and injuring 18 others, stoking anti-American protests that promised to complicate a massive offensive against Taliban insurgents this summer.
Although the military command issued an apology, saying it “deeply regrets the tragic loss of life,” Monday’s incident cast fresh doubts on Operation Omid, billed as the pivotal offensive of the war, which will see tens of thousands of NATO troops attempt to seize control of Kandahar.
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/anti-american-anger-grows-in-afghanistan-1
New law could deport West Bank Palestinians
April 13, 2010
JPost
The new order makes it a criminal act for anyone to live in the West Bank without a permit.
New legislation is due to go into effect on Tuesday granting the army authority to deport thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip or Arab countries from which they originally hailed, even if they entered the area legally and have lived there for many years, Israeli human rights organizations warned Sunday.
The new order makes it a criminal act for anyone to live in the West Bank without a permit. Violators can be sen...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/new-law-could-deport-west-bank-palestinians-1
Poland mourns president, elite killed in crash
April 12, 2010
Reuters
Poles were in deep mourning on Sunday after President Lech Kaczynski and many of the country's ruling elite were killed in a plane crash.
The aging Tupolev plane crashed in thick fog near Smolensk in western Russia on Saturday, killing all 97 people on board. Kaczynski had been planning to mark the 70th anniversary of the massacre of Polish officers by Soviet forces in a nearby forest.
Tens of thousands of mourners thronged the streets of central Warsaw through the night into Sunday, turning the avenue in front of Kaczynski'...
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Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/poland-mourns-president-elite-killed-in-crash-1
North Korea denies involved in South ship sinking Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/north-korea-denies-involved-in-south-ship-sinking-1 Kyrgyz gov. threatens force against ousted leader Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/kyrgyz-gov-threatens-force-against-ousted-leader-1 Europe agrees $40B Greece rescue deal Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/europe-agrees-40b-greece-rescue-deal-1 Thai protesters defiant in bloodstained Bangkok Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/thai-protesters-defiant-in-bloodstained-bangkok-1 Iran used China connection for nuke gear: report Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/iran-used-china-connection-for-nuke-gear-report-1 Thai protesters swarm Bangkok's shopping district Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/thai-protesters-swarm-bangkoks-shopping-district-1 Iraq on alert after deadly embassy blasts Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/iraq-on-alert-after-deadly-embassy-blasts-1 Former IAEA Chief: Iraq War Killed 1M Innocents Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/former-iaea-chief-iraq-war-killed-1m-innocents-1 Ahlu Sunnah claims victory over al-Shabab Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/ahlu-sunnah-claims-victory-over-al-shabab-1/ Barack Obama makes first Afghanistan visit Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/barack-obama-makes-first-afghanistan-visit-1 Sunk South Korea naval ship Cheonan 'split in half' Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/sunk-south-korea-naval-ship-cheonan-split-in-half-1 Iraq coalition talks 'open to all' - Iyad Allawi Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/iraq-coalition-talks-open-to-all-iyad-allawi-1 China's build-up is affecting regional military balance: US Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/chinas-build-up-is-affecting-regional-military-balance-us-1 Pakistan: 5 soldiers, 21 alleged militants killed Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/pakistan-5-soldiers-21-alleged-militants-killed-1 Al-Shabab leader killed in Somalia Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/al-shabab-leader-killed-in-somalia-1 Suspected US drone strikes kill eight in Pakistan Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/suspected-us-drone-strikes-kill-eight-in-pakistan-1 US business feeling unwelcome in China, says survey Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/us-business-feeling-unwelcome-in-china-says-survey-1 Afghan insurgents Hezb-e-Islami hold talks in Kabul Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/afghan-insurgents-hezb-e-islami-hold-talks-in-kabul-1 Hillary Clinton warns Israel faces 'difficult' choices Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/hillary-clinton-warns-israel-faces-difficult-choices-1 Pakistan arrests 'halt secret UN contacts with Taliban' Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/pakistan-arrests-halt-secret-un-contacts-with-taliban-1 Nigeria recalls Libya ambassador in Gaddafi row Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/nigeria-recalls-libya-ambassador-in-gaddafi-row-1 Major Afghan offensive 'under way' Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/major-afghan-offensive-under-way-1 Israeli aircraft strike Gaza Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/israeli-aircraft-strike-gaza-1 Nigeria leader Goodluck Jonathan dissolves cabinet Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/nigeria-leader-goodluck-jonathan-dissolves-cabinet-1 Netanyahu's brother-in-law calls Obama 'anti-Semitic' Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/netanyahus-brother-in-law-calls-obama-anti-semitic-1 US drone strike in Pakistan 'killed key al-Qaeda man' Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/us-drone-strike-in-pakistan-killed-key-al-qaeda-man-1 Merkel supports eurozone 'red card' Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/merkel-supports-eurozone-red-card-1 Obama: No crisis in Israel-US ties Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/obama-no-crisis-in-israel-us-ties-1 Iraq parliamentary election hit by insurgent attacks Click Here to Discuss this Article Source: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/iraq-parliamentary-election-hit-by-insurgent-attacks-1
April 12, 2010
Reuters
North Korea has denied involvement in the sinking of a South Korean navy ship that broke in half after an explosion last month, leaving 44 sailors still missing, a newspaper reported on Saturday.
Tensions mounted on the Korean peninsula after the ship sank near a disputed maritime border between the two Koreas that has been the scene of deadly clashes in previous years.
The cause of the explosion has not been identified, but South Korea's defense minister has said the ship may have been struck by a North Korean torpedo.
April 12, 2010
AFP
Kyrgyzstan's interim government warned Sunday it could use force against ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, raising tensions in the Central Asian state vital to US operations in Afghanistan.
The warning came despite Bakiyev being ousted amid clashes between protestors and police last week which left scores dead. The interim government accused him of attempting to foment civil war.
"The interim government is prepared to use force in the event that Bakiyev attempts to destabilise the situation," said Omurbek Tekebayev, a deput...
April 12, 2010
AFP
Europe could lend debt-stricken Greece up to 30 billion euros (40 billion dollars) under a contingency package agreed on Sunday in a bid to restore investor confidence in the continent's economy.
The EU's Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said the loans would have an interest rate of around five percent, significantly lower than the market rate which Greece has so far been forced to pay.
The Greek government welcomed the announcement but stressed that no request to activate the debt support had been made.
...
April 12, 2010
AFP
Tensions remained high on the bloodstained streets of Bangkok on Monday after the country's worst political violence in almost two decades left 21 dead and over 800 injured.
Protest leaders have promised to maintain their campaign until the government dissolves parliament and calls fresh elections despite the deaths of seventeen civilians and four soldiers in Saturday's clashes.
The Red Shirt protesters, supporters of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, maintain they want Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to step down and le...
April 5, 2010
Reuters
Western authorities are investigating whether an Iranian firm acquired valves and vacuum gauges used to enrich uranium through the representative of a Chinese firm, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
The report appeared as the United States sought China's support for a new round of sanctions to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear activities are peaceful and legitimate.
Purchase of the equipment could violate export sanctions. The newspaper cited a diplomat in Vienna as saying the I...
April 5, 2010
Reuters
Tens of thousands of protesters converged on Bangkok's shopping district on Saturday, forcing major retailers to close while accusing authorities of neglecting the poor on the 21st day of a mass rally seeking snap elections.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's embattled government deployed 50,000 soldiers, police and other security personnel in the city after caravans of the anti-government, red-shirted protesters travelled from rural areas to the Thai capital.
At least half a dozen shopping malls including Central World --...
April 5, 2010
AFP
Iraq's security forces were on high alert Monday after three suicide car bombs targeting regional and European embassies rocked Baghdad, killing 30 people.
The attacks came as Iraq's political parties struggled to form a government.
Incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whose coalition finished second in the March 7 general election, held a meeting with Iraq's national security council over Sunday's blasts, a statement from his office said.
Officials said the near-simultaneous attacks, which a minister said bore the ...
April 5, 2010
WSWS
The former head of the UN’s chief nuclear agency, Mohammed ElBaradei, said in an interview with the British newspaper Guardian Wednesday that those who launched the war in Iraq were responsible for killing a million innocent people and could be held accountable under international law. He was clearly referring to US President George Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and their top military and security aides.
It was his first interview with an international publication since ElBaradei returned to his native Egypt, after a decade headi...
April 5, 2010
Press TV
Heavy clashes have broken out between two rival militant groups in central Somalia, leaving at least 17 people dead and 20 injured.
The fierce fighting between fighters loyal to al-Shabab and their archrivals Ahlu Sunnah began in the Rage Ele area in Middle Shabelle on Saturday night and continued Sunday, a Press TV correspondent reported.
"We attacked the area and overpowered al-Shabab fighters," Ahlu Sunnah spokesman Sheikh Muse Huseein said.
The government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed has recently brought Ah...
March 29, 2010
BBC News
US President Barack Obama has arrived in Afghanistan on his first visit to the country since taking office.
With the Afghan Taliban in retreat, President Obama hopes to discuss benchmarks for withdrawal with his Afghan counterpart.Meeting Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, Mr Obama said he was inviting him to the US in May for talks.
The US president said he wanted to see progress continue on Afghan efforts to tackle corruption and drug-trafficking.
Mr Obama is also due to address US forces and US officials....
March 29, 2010
BBC News
The force of Friday's mysterious explosion which sunk a South Korean naval ship appears to have split the vessel's hull in two, officials say.
The cause of the explosion remains unknown, but signs are pointing to DPRK involvement. The two halves are lying on the sea bed but bad weather has prevented military divers from reaching the wreckage.
Forty-six sailors are missing and rescue workers say it is unlikely that anyone could have survived three days in the near-freezing water.
The cause of the explosio...
March 29, 2010
BBC News
The leader of the secular alliance that narrowly won Iraq's parliamentary election has offered to work with all parties to form a coalition government.
Iyad Allawi turned out a surprise victory in Iraq elections. Iyad Allawi said his Iraqiya bloc would start by talking with the rival State of Law alliance of Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, which it beat by two seats.
Mr Maliki has refused to accept the result and said he would challenge the count through the courts.
Both the UN and US envoys to Iraq have said ...
March 29, 2010
Daily News & Analysis
WASHINGTON - The build-up of Chinese military power is continuing "unabated" and Beijing's goals appears to be power projection beyond Asia and to challenge America's freedom of action in the region, a top US admiral has said.
PLA Navy tanks during a national day parade in Beijing. Outlining that Chinese buildup was affecting regional military balance, Admiral Robert Willard, Commander of the US Pacific Command said, "China's rapid and comprehensive transformation of its armed forces holds implications beyond the...
March 29, 2010
AP
PARACHINAR - Five Pakistani soldiers and at least 21 suspected militants were killed in clashes in a region near the Afghan border where the military is pursuing Pakistan Taliban insurgents fleeing a U.S.-backed offensive, authorities said Friday.
The Pakistan Taliban is thought to be regathering itself in Orakzai. The reports came a day after officials said 61 suspected militants died in airstrikes in the same region, Orakzai, and underscored the challenge facing Pakistan as it tries to wipe out Pakistan Taliban fighters bent on overthrowin...
March 22, 2010
Al Jazeera
Sheikh Daud Ali Hasan, a senior commander of al-Shabab, an armed group fighting to topple Somalia's government, has been shot dead near Kismayo.
The impact of Ali Hasan's death on al-Shabab remains to be seen. At least three masked men armed with pistols shot Hasan several times in the head and chest as he was coming out of a mosque on Friday night.
Abdi Hasan Ise, a witness, was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying: "I heard gunshots and saw two men running; we rushed to the scene and there was a body lying there in a pool of blo...
March 22, 2010
IANS
At least eight people were killed and four injured in two suspected US drone strikes in Pakistan's northwestern tribal district of North Waziristan on Sunday, security officials said.
A refugee fleeing conflict in South Waziristan is pat down by a soldier. An unmanned drone aircraft fired three Hellfire guided missiles into a compound in the Alora Mandi area of North Waziristan, a known safe haven of Pakistan Taliban and Al Qaeda militants launching cross-border raids on NATO-led international forces in Afghanistan.
'The dro...
March 22, 2010
BBC News
US companies feel increasingly unwelcome in China because of what they see as discrimination and inconsistent legal treatment, according to a survey.
Issues like the revaluation of the yuan continue to harm US-China relations.The American Chamber of Commerce in China (ACCC) found 38% of its members felt unwelcome, from 26% last quarter.
Inconsistent regulation and judicial treatment topped the list of concerns for American businesses, ACCC found.
It follows alleged cyber attacks on Google, and Chinese cl...
March 22, 2010
BBC News
A delegation from a powerful Afghan militant group has met officials for talks in Kabul, the government says.
A NATO troop stands, gun poised. While Taliban talks were recently pre-empted by Pakistan arrests, future talks with the Afghan Taliban cannot be ruled out. The team from the Hezb-e-Islami group of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar held talks with President Karzai, his spokesmen said.
It is the first confirmed direct contact between Mr Karzai and envoys of Mr Hekmatyar, who is wanted by the US.
Hezb-e-Islami f...
March 22, 2010
BBC News
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on Israel to make "difficult but necessary choices" if it wants a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Hillary Clinton has placed pressure on Israel to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict. Mrs Clinton warned that the status quo was "unsustainable" in a speech to a pro-Israel lobby group.
Her comments come amid a dispute between the US and Israel over plans for 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ru...
March 19, 2010
BBC News
The UN's former envoy to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, has strongly criticised Pakistan's recent arrest of high-ranking Taliban leaders.
Pakistan's recent arrest of major Afghan Taliban figures may hide ulterior motives. Mr Eide told the BBC the arrests had completely stopped a channel of secret communications with the UN.
Pakistani officials insist the arrests were not an attempt to spoil talks.
Mr Eide confirmed publicly for the first time that his secret contacts with senior Taliban members had begun a y...
March 19, 2010
BBC News
Nigeria has recalled its ambassador to Libya after leader Muammar Gaddafi suggested Nigeria be divided into two states - one Christian and one Muslim.
Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi.The foreign ministry said the Libyan leader's statement was "irresponsible". Earlier in the week a senator had called Col Gaddafi a "mad man".
Col Gaddafi had suggested the split to prevent any more bloodshed between rival groups in central Nigeria.
Hundreds have died this year in ethnic and religious violence around Jos.
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March 19, 2010
Al Jazeera
The US has said a new offensive to drive the Taliban from the southern Afghanistan city of Kandahar is under way and will steadily "ramp up" in the months ahead.
The military and political efforts against the Taliban around Kandahar, Afghanistan's second largest city, are the next step in the US-led strategy to end a war now in its ninth year.
General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of US and Nato troops in Afghanistan, said the offensive had begun with initial military and political efforts, including operations to secure key road...
March 18, 2010
Times Online
Israeli aircraft attacked at least six targets in the Gaza Strip early today, the day after a rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave killed a Thai worker in Israel as Baroness Ashton of Upholland, the EU’s deputy foreign policy chief, was visiting the blockaded territory.
Two civilians were wounded in one of three attacks on smuggling tunnels along the border with Egypt. The other targets included two open areas in Khan Younis and a metal foundry near Gaza City.
An Israeli military spokesman confirmed six sites had been targeted, in...
March 18, 2010
BBC News
Nigeria's acting president, Goodluck Jonathan, has dissolved the country's cabinet.
Mr Jonathan became acting president in February amid the continuing illness of President Umaru Yar'Adua.
Mr Yar'Adua went to Saudi Arabia for treatment in November last year and, despite returning to Nigeria recently, has not been seen in public.
One outgoing cabinet minister denied there was any power vacuum, saying civil servants would take over.
The cabinet was picked by Mr Yar'Adua and correspondents say...
March 18, 2010
BBC News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has distanced himself from his brother-in-law's description of US President Barack Obama as anti-Semitic.
He said he "strenuously" objected to Hagai Ben-Artzi's comment and expressed his "deep appreciation" for Mr Obama's commitment to Israel's security.
Mr Ben-Artzi was responding to US criticism of Israeli approval of plans for 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem.
Later, Mr Obama said the decision had not been helpful to the peace process.
But de...
March 18, 2010
BBC News
A key al-Qaeda figure wanted for a deadly attack on a CIA base in Afghanistan has been killed in a US drone strike, US officials believe.
Hussein al-Yemeni, a top al-Qaeda planner, died in the strike in the city of Miranshah in Pakistan, they said.
He was believed to have helped plan an attack on a base in Khost in December in which a suicide bomber killed seven CIA agents and a Jordanian officer.
The CIA's director has said al-Qaeda is now in disarray in Pakistan.
A US counter-terrorism...
March 18, 2010
BBC News
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she wants the eurozone to be able to exclude one of its members in future if it is necessary to avert a crisis.
Mrs Merkel told the German Bundestag (parliament) that existing EU rules were not strong enough to deal with the current crisis triggered by Greece.
Exclusion from the 16-nation eurozone would be a "last resort", she added.
Greece's prime minister said later that there was "zero possibility" of his country leaving the eurozone.
Germany, seen as the drivin...
March 18, 2010
Jerusalem Post
While Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu convened his six senior ministers on Wednesday night to discuss the crisis with Washington, US President Barack Obama on Wednesday said the US-Israeli relationship is not in crisis over the approval of an east Jerusalem building plan during US vice President Joe Biden's visit to Israel,.
Obama told Fox News Channel that the new housing units "weren't helpful" in carving out a peace between Israelis and Palestinians, but that Washington remains a committed ally for Israel.
The expansion of R...
March 8, 2010
BBC News
Iraq's second parliamentary election since the 2003 invasion has been hit by multiple attacks, with at least 35 people being killed.
Iraq elections have been hit by a string of terrorist attacks. Two buildings were destroyed in Baghdad and dozens of mortars were fired across the capital and elsewhere.
Despite the violence, there were long queues of voters at polling stations in a number of cities.
Polls closed at 1700 (1400 GMT) but people already in line were allowed to cast their votes.
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