CLINTON- MIDEAST: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has assured Lebanon that the
United States will not forgo its support of the country as the U.S.
opens dialogue with Syria.
In comments Sunday after meeting with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman
in Beirut, Clinton said she wanted to assure Lebanese citizens "that
the United States will never make any deal with Syria that sells out
Lebanon or the Lebanese people."
The top U.S. diplomat made the comments during a brief, unannounced
trip to Lebanon, which recently established diplomatic ties with
Damascus for the first time since their independence more than 60 years
ago.
SWINE FLU: He (Jose Angel Cordova) issued the revised death toll late
Saturday as the Mexican government announced it was shutting down
schools in the capital and surrounding areas until May 6.
With reports of more confirmed and possible cases from Mexico and the
United States, the World Health Organization declared the virus "a
public health emergency of international concern" with "pandemic
potential."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (Interim Deputy Director Dr. Anne Schuchat) warned that officials "cannot contain the spread of this virus."
WORLD ECONOMY: Efforts to help kickstart the global economy will soon get an additonal
$250 billion in emergency lending for struggling countries.
Finance ministers from around the world agreed to the immediate boost
in resources during the annual meetings of the International Monetary
Fundin Washington on Saturday.
They also responded to the demands from emerging economies -- including
China, Brazil and India -- to raise another $250 billion for "expanded
and more flexible" programs.
IMF chief Dominique Strauss Kahn said all countries now agree the
additional funds are needed to lift the global economy out of recession
and that member nations are committed to "cleansing the financial
system."
ETHIOPIA ARRESTS : Ethiopia says it has arrested 35 people accused of plotting to overthrow the government.
A government spokesman said Saturday the network was led by Berhanu
Nega, an Ethiopian opposition leader living in the United States.
Ethiopian officials say the 35 suspects were arrested Friday and will be charged in court in coming days.
China and Taiwan signed an agreement Sunday to promote mainland investment on the island.
CHINA-TAIWAN: The deal was made in talks between Taiwan's top envoy to China, Chiang
Pin-kung and Chen Yunlin, President of China's Association for
Relations Across the Taiwan Straits in the eastern Chinese city of
Nanjing.
A joint statement released after the talks said mainland Chinese investment would draw the two sides closer together.
Taiwanese firms have invested huge sums in China over the years, but
the mainland still cannot invest directly on the island without
approval from Taiwan's government.
This was the third round of talks since the two organizations resumed meetings last June, following a 10-year suspension.
