PAKISTAN: Massive explosions by suicide bombers in Pakistan's northwest have killed at least 16 people and wounded scores of others.
Police say a suicide bomber in Peshawar's commercial district killed at
least 10 people and wounded more than 70 others Saturday. Witnesses say
he threw a grenade before exploding the car, leaving overturned cars,
and glass and debris from nearby buildings strewn across the street.
A short time earlier, a suicide bomber leveled a police station,
killing at least six people and wounding more than 60 on the outskirts
of the town of Bannu.
US - AFGHANISTAN: U.S. President Barack Obama said Friday that his overriding goal in
Afghanistan is to dismantle al-Qaida's terrorist network and destroy
its ability to attack people around the world.
Mr. Obama, speaking at the end of the G20 summitin Pittsburgh, (Pennsylvania,)
said "stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan is critical to that
mission." He said that after several years of "drift" in Afghanistan,
NATO allies have made strong commitments to the effort.
The U.S. president said the Afghan strategy review process he initiated
at the beginning of his term is on track and warned there are "no
perfect answers" to the "tough questions" he is asking.
IRAN NUCLEAR: A top aid to Iran's Supreme Leader says the nation's newly-disclosed nuclear enrichment plant should be operational soon. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's chief of staff told Iran's Fars News Agency Saturday that, in his words, 'God Willing, the new plant will be operational soon and make the enemy blind." The announcement comes one day after U.S. President Barack Obama warned Iran that it must "come clean" about its disputed nuclear program in international talks next week, or face new sanctions from a united world community.
OBAMA - NUCLEAR: A day after the close of the Group of 20 summit, U.S. President Barack Obama is stressing international cooperation in countering nuclear proliferation. In his weekly radio and Internet address, the president said the United States is "committed to a new chapter of international cooperation." He said the U.S. is pursuing an agreement with Russia to reduce weapons arsenals, and he said other nations, like Iran and North Korea, must also meet international reponsibilities. President Obama said the U.S. will continue to - in his words - "stand with our allies and partners" to push North Korea to stop developing weapons of mass destruction.
CHINA - LAOS: Official Chinese media report China will build and launch a communication satellite for Laos, after similar ventures for Nigeria and Venezuela. The Xinhua news agency cited the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation as saying Friday that the satellite, dubbed the Laos-1, would be carried aloft by a China-made Long March rocket. The agency did not say when the launch would take place. Xinhua also said the academy would build land-based satellite tracking stations and a ground broadcast network for Laos.
CHINA - BURMA: China has urged Burma to take effective measures to safeguard the rights of Chinese citizens in Burma.
The Chinese foreign ministry said on its Web site Saturday that
consular affairs department chief Wei Wei conveyed Beijing's concerns
at a meeting with an official from Burma's embassy.
The release said Wei met on September 21 with Kyi Kyi Sein, minister counselor of the Burma Embassy.
Wei urged Burma to investigate reports that military conflicts in
northern Burma in August had harmed the rights and interests of Chinese
citizens living there.
G-20: U.S. President Barack Obama says leaders of the world's 20 largest
economies took actions that "brought the global economy back from the
brink." Mr. Obama made the comments to reporters at the end of the
two-day G-20 summit in the eastern U.S. city of Pittsburgh (,
Pennsylvania). He said the leaders agreed to leave stimulus programs in
place until
economic recoveries are firm. They also agreed to increase regulation
of the financial system and tie executive pay to long-term performance.
And the leaders decided to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels.
UN - GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Southern African delegates prevented Madagascar's Andry Rajoelina from
addressing the United Nations General Assembly Friday evening.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's foreign minister took the floor when
it was was time for the self-proclaimed leader of Madagascar to take
the podium.
Speaking on behalf of the Southern African Development Community,
Alexis Thambwe Mwamba said the SADC will not recognize a speaker "who
rose from an attempted coup."
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