Thursday, June 18, 2009

Clinton visits India to strengthen ties

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is urging greater counterterrorism cooperation among the United States, India and Pakistan and says she’ll visit India next month as the Obama administration moves to strengthen ties with New Delhi. Speaking to the U.S.-India Business Council on Wednesday, Clinton welcomed this week’s meeting of the leaders of India and Pakistan —- their first since last November’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai that inflamed tensions between the nuclear armed rivals.

Hamas official praises Carter

A senior Hamas official praised former President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday, a day after he met with the group. But Ahmed Youssef, the deputy Hamas foreign minister, said Carter had failed to persuade the Islamic rulers of Gaza to accept international demands, including recognizing Israel. Carter visited Gaza on Tuesday and urged Hamas leaders to accept the demands to end an international boycott, which was imposed when the militant group overran Gaza two years ago.

Prime minister averts early vote

Canada’s Conservative prime minister reached a deal Wednesday with one of three opposition parties allowing him to avoid early elections. The opposition Liberals had been threatening to join two other opposition parties in toppling Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s minority government on Friday if Harper didn’t unveil planned changes for unemployment insurance. The Liberals could still force a federal election in the fall, if all three opposition parties vote against the government. The opposition parties hold 163 seats in Parliament, while the Conservatives have 143 seats. There is one independent.

Interpol compiles pirate database

Interpol is compiling a database of fingerprints, photographs and other personal information on Somali pirate suspects to help fight piracy at sea, the agency said Wednesday. The information can be accessed by any of the agency’s 187 member countries. Despite international patrols, piracy has exploded in the Gulf of Aden and around Somalia’s 1,900-mile coastline.

Mistress convicted in sex-game death

A Swiss jury convicted the former mistress of one of France’s richest men of murder Wednesday after she admitted killing him during an argument over $1 million as he was dressed in a latex suit and tied up in a chair during their sex game. Cecile Brossard, 40, testified that she had loved Edouard Stern but became enraged during their final night together when he suggested she was a $1 million prostitute. She shot her 50-year-old lover multiple times, a prosecutor said. “I am not a thief. I am not poisonous,” Brossard told the court. “I am just desperately in love with a man and I will be forever.”

Swine flu docks Spanish cruise ship

Venezuela has quarantined the passengers and crew of a visiting cruise ship for 10 days while officials examine crew members with swine flu. Health official Jorge Alchaer said 1,219 passengers and 460 crew members of Ocean Dream are still on board the ship. It is docked at Venezuela’s Margarita Island, a popular Caribbean destination. Ocean Dream is managed by Spanish tour operator Pullmantur. The passengers’ nationalities were not immediately known.

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