BRUSSELS - Founded in the aftermath of World War II and at the onset of the Cold War, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization bound together western European countries, Canada and the United States to safeguard each other’s security against the rising threat of the Soviet Union. Much has changed - the Soviet Union is no […]
THE HAGUE - Representatives from more than 80 nations, including the United States and Iran, are gathering Tuesday in the Hague for a key conference focusing on Afghanistan at a time when NATO and U.S. forces there are fighting a rising insurgency.
The Afghanistan conference follows the unveiling of a new U.S. strategy that calls […]
CAIRO - As Arab leaders prepare to meet for their annual summit in Doha, Qatar, preliminary signs indicate a simmering conflict between rival camps threatens to derail attempts at reconciliation.
A simmering spat between Arab leaders is threatening to erupt into a noisy conflict, when the annual Arab summit opens Monday in the wealthy Gulf Emirate […]
WASHINGTON - A Japanese newspaper says North Korea is preparing to launch a short or medium-range missile in addition to a long-range rocket it plans to fire in early April. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says while he finds North Korea’s actions “troubling,” the United States has no plans to stop them.
Defense Secretary Robert […]
TEHRAN - Iran’s parliament speaker says U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent overture is not enough to repair 30 years of strained relations between Iran and the United States.
Ali Larijani said Wednesday that the dispute between the two countries is not an emotional issue that can be resolved by “sending congratulations.”
He says the United States has […]
Iraqi and U.S. troops are ordering Sunni Muslim security volunteers in a Baghdad district to turn in their weapons, after the arrest of their local leader sparked deadly gun battles.
The troops used loudspeakers Sunday to order members of the local “Awakening Council” to stop fighting, or be arrested. Despite the warning, sporadic shooting continued in […]
TOKYO - Japan deployed three guided missile destroyers Saturday with orders to shoot down any debris from a North Korean rocket that might stray into Japanese airspace.
Meanwhile, the United States, Japan and South Korea have agreed that any launch would be immediately brought up in the United Nations Security Council.
The three countries have all said […]
WASHINGTON - The Republican party is warning Americans that President Barack Obama’s budget plan will “place our children at a huge disadvantage” by running up the national debt.
In the weekly Republican address, Senator Judd Gregg from the northeastern state of New Hampshire criticized Mr. Obama’s $3.55 trillion budget proposal, calling it an extraordinary move to […]
TOKYO - Japan’s military is getting ready to shoot down part or all of the rocket North Korea is planning to launch, if it looks like it will land anywhere on Japanese territory. Meanwhile, senior regional envoys are heading to Washington to craft a diplomatic response to the imminent launch.
Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada says he […]
WHITE HOUSE - U.S. President Barack Obama has decided on a new Afghan strategy that includes a greater emphasis on regional diplomacy, and an increase in American military and civilian personnel. The president will unveil his plan later on Friday.
U.S. officials say the strategic goal is simple: to disrupt, dismantle and destroy al-Qaida and its […]
WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that the long-range missile launch North Korea is apparently preparing for would be a provocative act that would have consequences for Pyongyang. Clinton spoke in Mexico City amid reports North Korea has moved multi-stage missile to a launch pad.
U.S. officials have warned North Korea against […]
PARIS - The French government has agreed for the first time to compensate people with health problems associated with decades of nuclear tests in Algeria and the South Pacific. While the move marks a watershed, victims’ association are pushing for more.
After years of refusing to compensate victims affected by nearly 50 years of nuclear testing […]
JERUSALEM - Israel marked the 30th anniversary of its historic peace treaty with Egypt on Wednesday, with both sides acknowledging that its goals have yet to be fulfilled.At a conference in Jerusalem, Egyptian ambassador Yasser Reda indicated the agreement has not been able to bring about comprehensive peace in the region. He said the Palestinian […]
WASHINGTON - Two reports released Wednesday indicate some good news for the battered U.S. economy.
The Commerce Department says orders for expensive factory goods intended to last for at least three years rose a strong 3.4 percent in February after a long string of declines.
It was the biggest increase in more than a year.
A […]
WASHINGTON - U.S military leaders told the US Congress, Tuesday, that North Korea remains the greatest threat to peace in the Pacific region. They said the U.S. is ready to respond to any acts of provocation, including that country’s planned launch of a communications satellite, which Washington and its allies in Asia say is a […]
WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton flies to Mexico Wednesday for a two-day visit aimed at showing support for Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his government’s crackdown on drug cartels. On the eve of the trip, the Obama administration announced new steps to curb border traffic in drugs, illicit money and weapons.
Secretary Clinton will […]
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration says it is increasing the number of agents that operate along the Mexican border in an effort to combat an explosion of violence tied to powerful drug cartels. At the White House, U.S. officials outlined plans to work with Mexican authorities to enforce law and order in the border area.
Homeland […]
WASHINGTON - Two key members of Congress raised questions on Monday about the U.S. missile defense plan for Europe, saying that the system is untested and would not protect key American interests from an attack by Iran. And a leading Senator called for more cooperation with Russia.
The most controversial part of the U.S. missile defense […]
WASHINGTON - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Monday unveiled the Obama administration’s plan for getting so-called toxic or bad loans off the books of US financial institutions.
At the heart of the Geithner plan is a public-private partnership for buying the bad loans that have crippled U.S. banks and disrupted normal lending.
Speaking at a financial […]
JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to mend ties with Egypt, strained as the result of an inflammatory remark made by the man he has picked to be Israel’s next foreign minister.
Mr. Netanyahu’s office said Sunday that his aides met with Egyptian officials to tell them Avigdor Lieberman’s appointment as foreign minister […]
WASHINGTON - The U.S. economic chief is expected to announce a new plan Monday to help banks get rid of the toxic assets that are clogging the financial system.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says he will propose a new investment fund to buy troubled home loans (mortgages) and other complex assets (securities) connected to them.
The “Public […]
GENEVA - U.N. human rights investigators are launching a year-long global investigation into secret places of detention. They note the use of such facilities has increased since the global war on terror was declared after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the United States. The investigators say their probe will look at so-called rendition […]
WASHINGTON - Construction projects are popping up across the United States as money from President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan begins flowing to states. The Obama administration says the investment in infrastructure projects will create tens of thousands of jobs and revive the ailing U.S. economy.
From coast to coast, new transportation projects are underway. They […]
TEHRAN - Iran’s supreme leader is dismissing calls from U.S. President Barack Obama’s for a “new beginning” in relations between the two countries.
Speaking in the holy city of Mashhad Saturday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the U.S. is using “the slogan of change,” but that he sees no real change in U.S. policy toward Iran.
He also […]
