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Yemeni Clerics Call for Presidential Elections
June 19, 2011
SANA - More than 100 influential religious clerics and tribal leaders are calling for presidential elections within 60 days in Yemen and the ouster of the President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Saleh is undergoing medical treatment in Saudi Arabia after being wounded in an attack on his palace earlier this month. A ruling party official said Friday that Saleh intends to return to Yemen within days, but the...
UN Meets to Mull Climate Change Quick-Fix Options
June 19, 2011
ONN – On the heels of another halting round of talks on climate change, UN scientists this week will review quick-fix options for beating back the threat of global warming that rely on technology rather than political wrangling. Experts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), meeting for three days from Monday in the Peruvian capital Lima, will ponder "geo-engineering" solutions designed to cool the...
Ban Nominated to Top UN Post for Second Term
June 18, 2011
UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council on Friday "adopted by acclamation" a resolution to nominate incumbent UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for a second five-year term, the Council president told reporters here. Noel Nelson Messone, Gabon's UN ambassador whose country holds the rotating Council presidency for the month of June, made the...
SCO Pledges Cooperation in Trade, Counter-Terrorism, Touches on Libya
June 16, 2011
ASTANA - The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Wednesday said its member states will focus on cooperation in trade and counter-terrorism, calling for an end to the Libyan crisis.
The SCO heads of state made the remarks in a declaration signed in the Kazakh capital of Astana on the organization's 10th...
S. Korea, NATO to Discuss Security Challenges
June 15, 2011
SEOUL - South Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are scheduled to hold a meeting Tuesday over security cooperation, the foreign ministry here said Tuesday.
The fourth annual consultations at NATO Headquarters in Brussels will address a range of security issues of mutual concern, including South...
Africa Must Abandon Gadhafi: Clinton
June 14, 2011
>ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – The nations of Africa should sever all links with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi despite his long support and patronage for many African leaders, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday as she warned that without broad social, economic and political reforms Africa will face the same kind of...
Erdogan Vows to Seek Compromise on Constitution
June 14, 2011
ANKARA – Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to seek compromise with the opposition after his party won a thumping election victory but fell short of the majority needed to overhaul the constitution.
The Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) won 49.9 percent of the vote in Sunday's polls, according to unofficial ...
Turkey ruling party wins election with reduced majority
June 13, 2011
Near-complete results from Turkey's election show the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won a third term. With 99% of ballots counted the AKP had 50% of the vote, which local media said translated to 326 seats in parliament. But that would be 41 seats short of the two-thirds majority needed to amend the...
Nuclear Disarmament Conference, Calls for “Practical Mechanisms”
June 13, 2011
TEHRAN - Iran kicked off the second International Nuclear Disarmament Conference in Tehran on Sunday, calling for practical mechanisms to the issue of nuclear disarmament.
Addressing the opening ceremony of an international nuclear disarmament conference in Tehran on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said the conference is aimed at developing some...
Turkey Concerned Over Developments in Syria: Erdogan
June 12, 2011
ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey was concerned over the escalating violence against civilians in Syria amid anti-government protests.
In an interview with Turkish NTV channel late Friday, Erdogan said: "Developments in Syria is very much...
Gates Blasts NATO, Questions Future of Alliance
June 11, 2011
BRUSSELS – America's military alliance with Europe — the cornerstone of U.S. security policy for six decades — faces a "dim, if not dismal" future, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday in a blunt valedictory address. In his final policy speech as Pentagon chief, Gates questioned the viability of NATO, saying its members' penny-pinching and lack of...
Pakistan Needs Political Stability: Gilani
June 09, 2011
ISLAMABAD - Pak Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has said that the country needs political stability in order to ensure socio-economic development of the masses. He said that the external challenges facing the country also require that political forces across party divide craft consensus and put up a united front against these...
Ban Calls for Efforts to Protect World’s Oceans for Future Generations
June 09, 2011
UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called on all governments and peoples to play their part to ensure that the world's oceans are protected for future generations, warning that they face major threats in the years ahead.
Ban, in a statement issued to mark World Oceans Day, outlined what he...
NATO Gets “Necessary Assets” for Libya Operation: Rasmussen
June 09, 2011
BRUSSELS - The head of NATO said Wednesday that the alliance had the "necessary assets" to continue its military campaign in Libya "as long as it takes."
"We have the necessary assets available for continuing our operation and all 28 allies have just agreed to extend our operation beyond the current 90 days mandate. And they are also ready to provide...
Bin Laden will “Haunt” America: Al-Zawahri
June 09, 2011
CAIRO- Osama bin Laden's longtime lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahri, said the United States faces rebellion throughout the Muslim world after killing the al Qaeda leader, according to a YouTube recording posted on Wednesday. In what appeared to be his first public response to bin Laden's death in a U.S. commando raid in Pakistan last month,...
Gadhafi Vows to Fight to the Death
June 08, 2011
TRIPOLI, Libya – Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi vowed to fight to the death in a defiant speech Tuesday after NATO military craft unleashed a ferocious series of some daytime airstrikes on Tripoli.
In a phone call to Libyan state television station, Gadhafi angrily denounced the rebels who rose up against him in mid-February, inspired...
Obama, Merkel Agree on More Potential Sanctions against Iran
June 08, 2011
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama, appearing at the White House on Tuesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said the two agreed that if the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) this week determines again that Iran is continuing to ignore its international obligations, "then we will have no choice but to consider ...
US Plans to Sabotage Pakistan Nuke Facilities: Ahmadinejad
June 08, 2011
TEHRAN - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday accused Washington of planning to sabotage Pakistan's nuclear facilities, during a media conference in Tehran. "We have precise information that America wants to sabotage the Pakistani nuclear facilities in order to control Pakistan and to weaken the government and people of...
Closer Co-Operation Needed to Tackle New Threats, NATO to OSCE
June 07, 2011
VIENNA – Fighting new threats such as terrorism, proliferation, cybercrime and piracy requires closer co-operation among countries, institutions and organizations such as NATO and the OSCE, NATO Deputy Secretary General Claudio Bisogniero said today. Such co-operation is particularly important in issues related to Afghanistan and countries that are undergoing rapid changes, he said in...
IAEA Urges Iran, Syria to Resolve Outstanding Nuke Issues
June 07, 2011
VIENNA - Chief of the UN nuclear watchdog Monday urged Iran and Syria to fulfil their obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in order to dispel suspicions about their nuclear intentions. Yukiya Amano, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), presented his latest reports on the two countries'...
Ban Launches Official Re-Election Campaign
June 07, 2011
UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Monday announced his official bid for a second term as the UN chief, saying "with the support of the (UN) member states, I will be deeply honored to serve once more."
The secretary-general made the announcement at a press conference here at the UN Headquarters in New York following his meeting with the Asian...
Strauss-Kahn to plead not guilty to sex charges
June 06, 2011
Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn will plead not guilty on Monday to charges he sexually assaulted a New York hotel maid in a case that cost him his job and a chance at the French presidency.
Strauss-Kahn, 62, faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted on charges including attempted rape, sex abuse, a criminal sex act...
Terrorism, Extremism Can Be Defeated: Firdous
June 06, 2011
ISLAMABAD – Pakistani Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan on Saturday said "we can defeat terrorism and extremism by promoting and projecting of our magnificent heritage". This she said while formally inaugurating the artisans-at-work festival "Lok Mela" organized by Lok Virsa (National Institute of Folk and Traditional...
Ahmadinejad Travels to Armenia for Talks
June 06, 2011
TEHRAN - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will travel to Armenia on Monday as the head of a high-ranking political-economic delegation for talks, the local English language satellite Press TV reported Sunday.
Ahmadinejad's official visit to Armenia is in line with the developing and deepening of relations between the two countries, said the...
Yemen Celebrates President’s Departure
June 06, 2011
SANAA, Yemen – Protesters danced, sang and slaughtered cows in the central square of Yemen's capital Sunday to celebrate the departure of the country's authoritarian leader for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia after he was wounded in a rocket attack on his compound.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was taken to a military hospital in...
Dead of Al-Qaeda’s Leader is Very Likely
June 06, 2011
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's interior minister said on Sunday that he was "98 percent sure" senior Al Qaeda operative Ilyas Kashmiri was killed in a U.S. drone strike near the Afghan border.
Pakistan's interior minister said on Sunday that he was "98 percent sure" senior al Qaeda operative Ilyas Kashmiri was killed...
Iran Marks 22nd Anniversary of Death of Islamic Republic Founder
June 05, 2011
TEHRAN - Iran marked Saturday the 22nd anniversary of the death of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Seyyed Ruhollah Khomeini, the local satellite Press TV reported.
A large number of mourners and Iranian officials attended a ceremony at Imam Khomeini's mausoleum in the south of Tehran. Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said in the ceremony...
Putin Views Railroads as Key to Common Economic Space
June 05, 2011
ASTANA - Modernization of railroad infrastructure in Russia will be bound to integration within the Customs Union and Common Economic Space of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has stated. “Russia intends to link modernization of railroad infrastructure to integration processes such as the Customs Union and...
British, French Helicopters Strike Gadhafi Troops
June 05, 2011
BENGHAZI, Libya – British Apache and French attack helicopters struck targets for the first time in NATO's campaign in Libya, hitting Moammar Gadhafi's troops early Saturday near a key coastal oil city, the alliance said. The action was a significant step-up in NATO's operations and a major boost to Libyan rebels, just a day after rebel fighters forced...
Gates Pledges Wider US Military Presence in Asia
June 05, 2011
SINGAPORE – In a parting pitch to Asian allies, retiring U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Pentagon is considering steps to widen its military presence across the Pacific Rim. He said budget woes won't interfere. "America is, as the expression goes, putting `our money where our mouth is' with respect to this part of...
China Calls US Culprit in Global ‘Internet War’
June 04, 2011
BEIJING – The Chinese military accused the U.S. on Friday of launching a global "Internet war" to bring down Arab and other governments, redirecting the spotlight away from allegations of major online attacks on Western targets originating in China.
The accusations Friday by Chinese military academy scholars, and...
Russia Opposes Additional Sanctions on Iran
June 04, 2011
MOSCOW - Russia does see any reason to impose additional international sanctions on Iran, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.
In an interview with the Bloomberg news agency, Lavrov said world powers should consider easing sanctions against Iran so as to push the country to cooperate in resolving the dispute over its...
Turkey Calls for Facilitating Trade among OIC Members
June 02, 2011
ANKARA - Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Wednesday urged member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to facilitate the establishment of a preferential trade deal among OIC members, local media reported.
In a message sent to the 27th meeting of the OIC's Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) in Ankara,...
NATO Extends Operation in Libya for another 90 Days
June 02, 2011
BRUSSELS - NATO has decided to extend its mission in Libya for another 90 days, the alliance's chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced on Wednesday. This decision sends "a clear message" to the Gaddafi regime that the alliance is determined to continue operation to "protect the people of Libya," Rasmussen said in a...
I Will Not Leave My Country: Gaddafi
June 01, 2011
Muammar Gaddafi is emphatic he will not leave Libya, South African President Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday after talks with the Libyan leader that left prospects for a negotiated end.
But new questions emerged over how long Gaddafi could hold on after a senior United Nations aid official said shortages of food and medicine in areas of Libya controlled by Gaddafi amounted to a “time bomb.”
Within hours of Zuma’s departure from Tripoli late on Monday,...