Canadian leaders mourn Afghan war dead
Canadian Governor General David Johnston and Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Saturday offered their condolences to the family of a Canadian soldier who was killed in Afghanistan earlier in the day.
Master Corporal Byron Greff, a Light Infantry soldier, was the 158th Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan, and was also the first since Canada ended its combat mission in Afghanistan in July.
"On behalf of Canadians and of the government of Canada, I would like to offer my most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Byron Garth Greff," Harper said in a statement, adding that the soldier had "paid the ultimate price serving his country."
In a separate statement, Johnston said that even though Canada's mission has changed to a non-combat one, its servicemen and civilians face risks every day in their efforts to rebuild Afghanistan.
Greff, who joined the Canadian Forces in 2001, was killed in the Afghan capital of Kabul when an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) convoy he was traveling in came under attack.
According to an earlier statement by the ISAF, 13 NATO personnel were killed in the incident, for which the Taliban movement has claimed responsibility.
There are some 950 Canadian troops participating in training missions at bases in Kabul and in western Afghanistan. The operation is slated to end in the spring of 2014.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 11:27:50 FeedbackPrintRSS
OTTAWA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Ecuador president quits summit in protest against the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and World Bank
Ecuador president quits summit in protest against OECD, WB
Ecuador's President Rafael Correa walked out of a Latin American summit Saturday here, after censuring the presence of representatives from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and World Bank.
During the first plenary of the 21st Ibero-American Summit, Correa criticized the presence of OECD General Secretary Angel Gurria, calling it as an "intervention."
"I would request, in return, that OECD also invite a representative of the Latin American countries to explain our position in its next meeting," said Correa.
Correa also called into question the presence of World Bank Representative in Latin America Pamela Cox in the summit.
"Mr. President, why in this forum we have to welcome the World Bank, who openly blackmailed my country?" said Correa, saying that "World Bank must apologize for the blackmail to different countries in the region."
Following the words, Correa walked out of the summit.
In August 2005, then Ecuadorian finance minister Correa visited Washington to collect a 100-million-U.S.-dollar loan as part of the World Bank's fiscal support program for Ecuador.
However, he was left embarrassingly empty-handed as the bank suspended the loan in response to Ecuador's restructuring of an oil stabilization fund. Correa accused the World Bank of blackmailing and threatened to kick out the multilateral lender.
In an interview with the Financial Times at the time, Correa said that by denying the loan at the last moment, the World Bank had broken a contract with the country.
"This is an offense for Ecuador. A loan had been approved and was in place and they are canceling it, completely outside any ethical or legal principle, because we changed a law," he told the FT then. "We are a sovereign country. Nobody can punish us because we are changing our own laws."
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 06:23:33 FeedbackPrintRSS
ASUNCION, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Ecuador's President Rafael Correa walked out of a Latin American summit Saturday here, after censuring the presence of representatives from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and World Bank.
During the first plenary of the 21st Ibero-American Summit, Correa criticized the presence of OECD General Secretary Angel Gurria, calling it as an "intervention."
"I would request, in return, that OECD also invite a representative of the Latin American countries to explain our position in its next meeting," said Correa.
Correa also called into question the presence of World Bank Representative in Latin America Pamela Cox in the summit.
"Mr. President, why in this forum we have to welcome the World Bank, who openly blackmailed my country?" said Correa, saying that "World Bank must apologize for the blackmail to different countries in the region."
Following the words, Correa walked out of the summit.
In August 2005, then Ecuadorian finance minister Correa visited Washington to collect a 100-million-U.S.-dollar loan as part of the World Bank's fiscal support program for Ecuador.
However, he was left embarrassingly empty-handed as the bank suspended the loan in response to Ecuador's restructuring of an oil stabilization fund. Correa accused the World Bank of blackmailing and threatened to kick out the multilateral lender.
In an interview with the Financial Times at the time, Correa said that by denying the loan at the last moment, the World Bank had broken a contract with the country.
"This is an offense for Ecuador. A loan had been approved and was in place and they are canceling it, completely outside any ethical or legal principle, because we changed a law," he told the FT then. "We are a sovereign country. Nobody can punish us because we are changing our own laws."
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 06:23:33 FeedbackPrintRSS
ASUNCION, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Rare October snow storm hits New York
Rare October snow storm hits New York
A rare October snow storm took New York City by surprise on Saturday, dumping heavy flakes across its five boroughs.
By 2 p.m., 1.3 inches of snow had fallen in Central Park, and never before in October has an inch of snow fell on a given day in the city, according to The Weather Channel.
Four to six inches of snow accumulation is expected late Saturday night with winds from the northwest at 15 to 25 miles per hour, the National Weather Service reported.
At John F Kennedy International Airport, some arriving flights were delayed more than four hours. Service disruptions also occurred in public transportation including Metro-North and NJ Transit.
The city's Sanitation Department is preparing its salt spreaders and plows, and coordinating with other agencies like the Office of Emergency Management, and the Transportation Department.
Heavy snow and high winds also rolled into the Northeast in the morning, leaving tree damage in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and areas in New England.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 06:20:03 FeedbackPrintRSS
NEW YORK, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
A rare October snow storm took New York City by surprise on Saturday, dumping heavy flakes across its five boroughs.
By 2 p.m., 1.3 inches of snow had fallen in Central Park, and never before in October has an inch of snow fell on a given day in the city, according to The Weather Channel.
Four to six inches of snow accumulation is expected late Saturday night with winds from the northwest at 15 to 25 miles per hour, the National Weather Service reported.
At John F Kennedy International Airport, some arriving flights were delayed more than four hours. Service disruptions also occurred in public transportation including Metro-North and NJ Transit.
The city's Sanitation Department is preparing its salt spreaders and plows, and coordinating with other agencies like the Office of Emergency Management, and the Transportation Department.
Heavy snow and high winds also rolled into the Northeast in the morning, leaving tree damage in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and areas in New England.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 06:20:03 FeedbackPrintRSS
NEW YORK, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Rare early snow storm pounds U.S. Northeast
Rare early snow storm pounds U.S. Northeast
A rare October snow storm on Saturday pelted the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states with heavy and wet snow, causing power outages and troubles for travelers.
The U.S. National Weather Service warned that heavy wet snow, falling on trees with remaining foliage, could lead to many downed tree branches and power outages.
The weather service issued a winter storm warning for large parts of the east coast from West Virginia and western Virginia to eastern Maine, in effect until early Sunday. Up to a foot of snow, along with strong winds, could be expected in some areas, it said.
Nearly 580,000 customers were knocked out of power in the east coast, mostly in Pennsylvania, local media reported.
The storm also caused major delays for air travelers. For instance, arriving flights into New York's John F Kennedy International Airport were delayed an average of 5 hours and 16 minutes, the Federal Aviation Administration reported.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 06:19:34 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
A rare October snow storm on Saturday pelted the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states with heavy and wet snow, causing power outages and troubles for travelers.
The U.S. National Weather Service warned that heavy wet snow, falling on trees with remaining foliage, could lead to many downed tree branches and power outages.
The weather service issued a winter storm warning for large parts of the east coast from West Virginia and western Virginia to eastern Maine, in effect until early Sunday. Up to a foot of snow, along with strong winds, could be expected in some areas, it said.
Nearly 580,000 customers were knocked out of power in the east coast, mostly in Pennsylvania, local media reported.
The storm also caused major delays for air travelers. For instance, arriving flights into New York's John F Kennedy International Airport were delayed an average of 5 hours and 16 minutes, the Federal Aviation Administration reported.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 06:19:34 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Ibero-American countries sign Asuncion Declaration
Ibero-American countries sign Asuncion Declaration
Representatives from Ibero- American countries signed here on Saturday the Asuncion Declaration, calling for member states' efforts on effective social development.
The document, issued as the main achievement of the 21st Ibero- American Summit held here under the theme of "State Transformation and Development," highlighted renewed consensus on effective social development, such as social equalities and high quality education.
During the summit, the participants also signed 13 agreements representing "peoples' demands and needs," including ones that condemn the economic blockade to Cuba and support the Argentine sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands.
The declaration, which addresses other aspects such as social inclusion, migration, climate change, security and combating terrorism, was previously scheduled to be signed in the second session late this afternoon, but was advanced because of the change of agenda by some delegations.
Fernando Lugo, president of the host country and first to sign the document, appreciated "the height, depth and maturity" of the debate that led to the signing of the Declaration and "especially in the construction of consensus."
The Ibero-American Summit is an annual gathering of the heads of governments and states of Spanish and Portuguese-speaking nations in Europe and the Americas.
The 21st Ibero-American Summit opened Friday night with heads of state and representatives of some of its 22 member countries gathering here to discuss the state's role during the global economic crisis.
At this year's summit, many presidents failed to show up, including those of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Uruguay and Venezuela. Some Paraguayan newspapers described it as a "record absence" in the summit's history.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 05:29:34 FeedbackPrintRSS
ASUNCION, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Representatives from Ibero- American countries signed here on Saturday the Asuncion Declaration, calling for member states' efforts on effective social development.
The document, issued as the main achievement of the 21st Ibero- American Summit held here under the theme of "State Transformation and Development," highlighted renewed consensus on effective social development, such as social equalities and high quality education.
During the summit, the participants also signed 13 agreements representing "peoples' demands and needs," including ones that condemn the economic blockade to Cuba and support the Argentine sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands.
The declaration, which addresses other aspects such as social inclusion, migration, climate change, security and combating terrorism, was previously scheduled to be signed in the second session late this afternoon, but was advanced because of the change of agenda by some delegations.
Fernando Lugo, president of the host country and first to sign the document, appreciated "the height, depth and maturity" of the debate that led to the signing of the Declaration and "especially in the construction of consensus."
The Ibero-American Summit is an annual gathering of the heads of governments and states of Spanish and Portuguese-speaking nations in Europe and the Americas.
The 21st Ibero-American Summit opened Friday night with heads of state and representatives of some of its 22 member countries gathering here to discuss the state's role during the global economic crisis.
At this year's summit, many presidents failed to show up, including those of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Uruguay and Venezuela. Some Paraguayan newspapers described it as a "record absence" in the summit's history.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 05:29:34 FeedbackPrintRSS
ASUNCION, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
U.S. spends billions on intelligence in past year
U.S. spends billions on intelligence in past year
The United States spent over 54 billion dollars on intelligence programs during the past year, the office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) said Friday. The figure reaches 78.6 billion when combined with military intelligence spending.
The DNI said in a statement that during fiscal year 2011, which ended on Sept. 30, the aggregate amount appropriated to National Intelligence Programs was 54.6 billion dollars, about 1.5 billion more than the previous fiscal year. No other details were disclosed.
The figure doesn't include military intelligence spending, which the Defense Department earlier in the day said to be 24 billion dollars for the past year. Like the DNI disclosure, details of Military Intelligence Program appropriation were classified.
In fiscal year 2010, the United States' combined intelligence spending was about 80.1 billion dollars, with 53.1 billion for National Intelligence Program, and 27 billion on military programs.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 04:01:52 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua)
The United States spent over 54 billion dollars on intelligence programs during the past year, the office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) said Friday. The figure reaches 78.6 billion when combined with military intelligence spending.
The DNI said in a statement that during fiscal year 2011, which ended on Sept. 30, the aggregate amount appropriated to National Intelligence Programs was 54.6 billion dollars, about 1.5 billion more than the previous fiscal year. No other details were disclosed.
The figure doesn't include military intelligence spending, which the Defense Department earlier in the day said to be 24 billion dollars for the past year. Like the DNI disclosure, details of Military Intelligence Program appropriation were classified.
In fiscal year 2010, the United States' combined intelligence spending was about 80.1 billion dollars, with 53.1 billion for National Intelligence Program, and 27 billion on military programs.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 04:01:52 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua)
Obama to have summit with leaders of Canada, Mexico
Obama to have summit with leaders of Canada, Mexico
U.S. President Barack Obama will have a summit with leaders of Canada and Mexico next month over a wide-range of issues, the White House said on Friday.
The summit, slated for Nov. 13 in Honolulu, Hawaii, will join Obama with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon in the so-called North American Leaders' Summit.
"The meeting will build on wide-ranging, on-going cooperation among the United States, Canada and Mexico with a particular focus on competitiveness, citizen security, energy and climate change, and North America's role in the Americas as well as in global economic, political, and security issues," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.
The last summit was hosted by Calderon in Guadalajara in 2009.
Obama will host a summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in Honolulu on Nov. 12-13, of which Canada and Mexico are both members.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 02:45:51 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua)
U.S. President Barack Obama will have a summit with leaders of Canada and Mexico next month over a wide-range of issues, the White House said on Friday.
The summit, slated for Nov. 13 in Honolulu, Hawaii, will join Obama with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon in the so-called North American Leaders' Summit.
"The meeting will build on wide-ranging, on-going cooperation among the United States, Canada and Mexico with a particular focus on competitiveness, citizen security, energy and climate change, and North America's role in the Americas as well as in global economic, political, and security issues," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.
The last summit was hosted by Calderon in Guadalajara in 2009.
Obama will host a summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in Honolulu on Nov. 12-13, of which Canada and Mexico are both members.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 02:45:51 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua)
U.S. President Barack Obama presses jobs plan passage to bridge yawning income gap
Obama presses jobs plan passage to bridge yawning income gap
U.S. President Barack Obama Saturday urged Congress to pass the administration's stalled jobs plan to speed up U.S. economic growth and reduce the widening income gap.
Obama cited a latest Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report to show that the U.S. middle class has lost ground while the wealthiest few have become even wealthier over the past three decades.
A report released earlier this week by the non-partisan CBO revealed that average after-tax income for the top 1 percent of the nation's super-rich surged 275 percent from 1979 to 2007, while middle-income households saw a 40 percent increase in their post-tax income. Those at the bottom 20 percent of the U.S. income scale saw their income grow by a mere 18 percent.
"America is better off when everyone has had the chance to get ahead, not just those at the top of the income scale. The more Americans who prosper, the more America prospers," Obama said in his weekly address.
He stressed that Congress could pass a set of common-sense jobs proposals and put more teachers, veterans and construction workers back on the job, Obama's latest pitch to win support for the 447- billion-dollars jobs plan unveiled last month.
Facing a sluggish economic growth and stubbornly high unemployment rate, Obama rolled out the jobs plan on Sept. 8, which includes measures like payroll tax cuts for employers and employees as well as new investment in infrastructure projects.
However, Republican Senators scuttled the jobs package on Oct. 11, and a portion of the bill, which provided 35 billion U.S. dollars to state and local governments to prevent layoffs of teachers, police officers and firefighters, failed to advance in the Senate on Oct. 20.
Obama stressed that Congress should take bold action to help get the U.S. economy moving again.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 02:09:27 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
U.S. President Barack Obama Saturday urged Congress to pass the administration's stalled jobs plan to speed up U.S. economic growth and reduce the widening income gap.
Obama cited a latest Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report to show that the U.S. middle class has lost ground while the wealthiest few have become even wealthier over the past three decades.
A report released earlier this week by the non-partisan CBO revealed that average after-tax income for the top 1 percent of the nation's super-rich surged 275 percent from 1979 to 2007, while middle-income households saw a 40 percent increase in their post-tax income. Those at the bottom 20 percent of the U.S. income scale saw their income grow by a mere 18 percent.
"America is better off when everyone has had the chance to get ahead, not just those at the top of the income scale. The more Americans who prosper, the more America prospers," Obama said in his weekly address.
He stressed that Congress could pass a set of common-sense jobs proposals and put more teachers, veterans and construction workers back on the job, Obama's latest pitch to win support for the 447- billion-dollars jobs plan unveiled last month.
Facing a sluggish economic growth and stubbornly high unemployment rate, Obama rolled out the jobs plan on Sept. 8, which includes measures like payroll tax cuts for employers and employees as well as new investment in infrastructure projects.
However, Republican Senators scuttled the jobs package on Oct. 11, and a portion of the bill, which provided 35 billion U.S. dollars to state and local governments to prevent layoffs of teachers, police officers and firefighters, failed to advance in the Senate on Oct. 20.
Obama stressed that Congress should take bold action to help get the U.S. economy moving again.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 02:09:27 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Brazil's former president Lula diagnosed with laryngeal cancer
Brazil's former president Lula diagnosed with laryngeal cancer
Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer, his physicians said Saturday.
According to Doctor Paulo Hoff from the Sirio-Libanes Hospital in Sao Paulo, the former president was presenting persistent hoarseness, so doctors made several exams, and detected a tumor in his larynx.
The hospital said Lula would undergo outpatient chemotherapy treatment starting Monday, while the number of chemotherapy sessions was not disclosed.
The Sirio-Libanes Hospital is one of the most renowned medical institutions in Brazil, in charge of health evaluations of Brazilian presidents.
President Dilma Rousseff and former Vice-President Jose Alencar, who served under Lula, both underwent cancer treatment in the Sirio-Libanes.
Rousseff was declared cured after a few months of treatment, while Alencar died after a 15-year-old struggle against his disease.
President Lula, who turned 66 this week, is a longtime smoker.
According to Brazil's National Cancer Institute (INCA), smoking increases tenfold the risk of larynx cancer. This kind of tumor is also more common among men. The INCA estimates some 9,300 new cases of laryngeal cancer every year in Brazil. In 2008, 3,594 people died from the disease in Brazil.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 02:08:31 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer, his physicians said Saturday.
According to Doctor Paulo Hoff from the Sirio-Libanes Hospital in Sao Paulo, the former president was presenting persistent hoarseness, so doctors made several exams, and detected a tumor in his larynx.
The hospital said Lula would undergo outpatient chemotherapy treatment starting Monday, while the number of chemotherapy sessions was not disclosed.
The Sirio-Libanes Hospital is one of the most renowned medical institutions in Brazil, in charge of health evaluations of Brazilian presidents.
President Dilma Rousseff and former Vice-President Jose Alencar, who served under Lula, both underwent cancer treatment in the Sirio-Libanes.
Rousseff was declared cured after a few months of treatment, while Alencar died after a 15-year-old struggle against his disease.
President Lula, who turned 66 this week, is a longtime smoker.
According to Brazil's National Cancer Institute (INCA), smoking increases tenfold the risk of larynx cancer. This kind of tumor is also more common among men. The INCA estimates some 9,300 new cases of laryngeal cancer every year in Brazil. In 2008, 3,594 people died from the disease in Brazil.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-30 02:08:31 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
U.S., Iraqi officials talk relations after troops drawdown
U.S., Iraqi officials talk relations after troops drawdown
U.S. National Security Advisor Tom Donilon on Saturday held talks with his Iraqi counterpart Falah al-Fayyadh to discuss relationship between the two countries after the U.S. side pulls out its forces in Iraq by end of the year.
According to a White House statement, Donilon and al-Fayyadh met at the White House and "reaffirmed the common vision of a broad, deep strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq as embodied in the Strategic Framework Agreement."
The White House said the two held a "far-reaching discussion of the elements of a fully normalized relationship between Iraq and the United States," discussing education, investment, and security.
It said they were committed to develop additional mechanisms to establish a continuous strategic dialogue between the United States and Iraq.
After speaking with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, U.S. President Barack Obama announced on Oct. 21 that all U.S. troops stationed in Iraq will pull out of that country by the end of this year, and the Iraq War will be over.
Obama said after U.S. troops are pulled out from Iraq, the relationship between the two countries will be "one normal relationship between sovereign nations," and he will be welcoming Maliki to the White House for a visit in December.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 23:26:14 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
U.S. National Security Advisor Tom Donilon on Saturday held talks with his Iraqi counterpart Falah al-Fayyadh to discuss relationship between the two countries after the U.S. side pulls out its forces in Iraq by end of the year.
According to a White House statement, Donilon and al-Fayyadh met at the White House and "reaffirmed the common vision of a broad, deep strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq as embodied in the Strategic Framework Agreement."
The White House said the two held a "far-reaching discussion of the elements of a fully normalized relationship between Iraq and the United States," discussing education, investment, and security.
It said they were committed to develop additional mechanisms to establish a continuous strategic dialogue between the United States and Iraq.
After speaking with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, U.S. President Barack Obama announced on Oct. 21 that all U.S. troops stationed in Iraq will pull out of that country by the end of this year, and the Iraq War will be over.
Obama said after U.S. troops are pulled out from Iraq, the relationship between the two countries will be "one normal relationship between sovereign nations," and he will be welcoming Maliki to the White House for a visit in December.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 23:26:14 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
13 U.S. soldiers die in Kabul bombing
13 U.S. soldiers die in Kabul bombing
U.S. officials confirmed with local media that 13 NATO soldiers killed in an Afghan bombing Saturday were Americans, the biggest single day loss to U.S. troops there since the August crash of a helicopter that killed 30 U.S. soldiers.
CNN quoted anonymous U.S. military officials as saying the bombing, carried out by a suicide bomber in a van, targeted an armored NATO bus on a highway in the Afghan capital Kabul.
Afghan Interior Ministry said an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) convoy was attacked on Darul Aman road in western Kabul at around noon. In addition to 13 ISAF casualties, three Afghan civilians and a policeman were also killed.
In August, 30 U.S. servicemen were killed aboard a Chinook helicopter in central Afghanistan when it was downed by a Taliban rocket. Seven Afghan commandos and an Afghan interpreter also were killed.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 22:51:54 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
U.S. officials confirmed with local media that 13 NATO soldiers killed in an Afghan bombing Saturday were Americans, the biggest single day loss to U.S. troops there since the August crash of a helicopter that killed 30 U.S. soldiers.
CNN quoted anonymous U.S. military officials as saying the bombing, carried out by a suicide bomber in a van, targeted an armored NATO bus on a highway in the Afghan capital Kabul.
Afghan Interior Ministry said an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) convoy was attacked on Darul Aman road in western Kabul at around noon. In addition to 13 ISAF casualties, three Afghan civilians and a policeman were also killed.
In August, 30 U.S. servicemen were killed aboard a Chinook helicopter in central Afghanistan when it was downed by a Taliban rocket. Seven Afghan commandos and an Afghan interpreter also were killed.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 22:51:54 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)
Cuba spends 122 mln USD in supporting small private enterprises
Cuba spends 122 mln USD in supporting small private enterprises
Cuba has spent about 122 million U.S. dollars importing raw materials and other supplies to support its new small private enterprises, Cuban official newspaper Granma said Friday.
"In 2011 the government has spent 122 million Cuban convertible pesos (122 million dollars) to ensure the necessary material supplies for the rising small private companies on the island," Granma quoted Labor and Social Security Ministry official Idalmys Alvarez as saying.
Alvarez, employment director for the Ministry, said Cuba already has a network of more than 300 markets whose customers are private employers who need a wide range of appliances, tools, equipment, products and raw material.
Under a series of reforms, including developing the private economy, to overcome the country's economic crisis, private employers have increased to 338,280 in Cuba by last September.
Editor: Wang Guanqun
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 13:43:59 FeedbackPrintRSS
HAVANA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua)
Cuba has spent about 122 million U.S. dollars importing raw materials and other supplies to support its new small private enterprises, Cuban official newspaper Granma said Friday.
"In 2011 the government has spent 122 million Cuban convertible pesos (122 million dollars) to ensure the necessary material supplies for the rising small private companies on the island," Granma quoted Labor and Social Security Ministry official Idalmys Alvarez as saying.
Alvarez, employment director for the Ministry, said Cuba already has a network of more than 300 markets whose customers are private employers who need a wide range of appliances, tools, equipment, products and raw material.
Under a series of reforms, including developing the private economy, to overcome the country's economic crisis, private employers have increased to 338,280 in Cuba by last September.
Editor: Wang Guanqun
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 13:43:59 FeedbackPrintRSS
HAVANA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua)
Ibero-American summit opens to mull role of states during global economic crisis
Ibero-American summit opens to mull role of states during global economic crisis
The 21th Ibero-American Summit opened Friday night with heads of state and representatives of some of its 22 member countries gathering here to discuss the state's role during the global economic crisis.
In the opening speech delivered at the summit being held under the slogan "State Transformation and Development," Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo defended a stronger role of the state, emphasizing that "we should regain our economic sovereignty and dignity of our peoples."
Lugo said that states should provide "social participation" and that state agencies should govern investment and the market.
Moreover, states must guarantee access to health services and education to form a strategic alliance between society and the market, he said.
Lugo called for an adjustment of state structures to manage affairs more efficiently.
Enrique Iglesias, general secretary of the summit, said that as this summit was being held while the global economy was undergoing hard times, "it is necessary to consolidate trust" and adopt comprehensive measures, taking into account the experience of Latin America in the 1990s.
He argued that Latin American countries are required to face the deficits and the economic crisis that could affect emerging and developing countries.
Iglesias said that Latin American countries need greater integration to face global economic instability, and he urged the states to be alert to the spread of the crisis, strive for quality education, fight for equality and higher productivity, and modernize public institutions.
The Ibero-American Summit is an annual gathering of the heads of governments and states of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations in Europe and the Americas.
Moreover, in his opening speech, Iglesias congratulated Spanish King Juan Carlos and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on "the end of insane terrorism" by the Basque nationalist and separatist organization ETA.
"We congratulate the Spanish people on the end of crazed terrorism which never had reason to exist, a fight won by democratic methods, supported by the suffering and patience of its great people and the firmness of its government," Iglesias said.
Before the opening of the summit, foreign ministers of the countries met to discuss thorny issues and coordinate on a final declaration for the summit.
At this year's summit, many presidents failed to show up, including those of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador,Honduras, Nicaragua, Uruguay and Venezuela. Some Paraguayan newspapers described it as a "record absence" in the summit's history.
Editor: Wang Guanqun
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 13:43:12
The 21th Ibero-American Summit opened Friday night with heads of state and representatives of some of its 22 member countries gathering here to discuss the state's role during the global economic crisis.
In the opening speech delivered at the summit being held under the slogan "State Transformation and Development," Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo defended a stronger role of the state, emphasizing that "we should regain our economic sovereignty and dignity of our peoples."
Lugo said that states should provide "social participation" and that state agencies should govern investment and the market.
Moreover, states must guarantee access to health services and education to form a strategic alliance between society and the market, he said.
Lugo called for an adjustment of state structures to manage affairs more efficiently.
Enrique Iglesias, general secretary of the summit, said that as this summit was being held while the global economy was undergoing hard times, "it is necessary to consolidate trust" and adopt comprehensive measures, taking into account the experience of Latin America in the 1990s.
He argued that Latin American countries are required to face the deficits and the economic crisis that could affect emerging and developing countries.
Iglesias said that Latin American countries need greater integration to face global economic instability, and he urged the states to be alert to the spread of the crisis, strive for quality education, fight for equality and higher productivity, and modernize public institutions.
The Ibero-American Summit is an annual gathering of the heads of governments and states of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations in Europe and the Americas.
Moreover, in his opening speech, Iglesias congratulated Spanish King Juan Carlos and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on "the end of insane terrorism" by the Basque nationalist and separatist organization ETA.
"We congratulate the Spanish people on the end of crazed terrorism which never had reason to exist, a fight won by democratic methods, supported by the suffering and patience of its great people and the firmness of its government," Iglesias said.
Before the opening of the summit, foreign ministers of the countries met to discuss thorny issues and coordinate on a final declaration for the summit.
At this year's summit, many presidents failed to show up, including those of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador,Honduras, Nicaragua, Uruguay and Venezuela. Some Paraguayan newspapers described it as a "record absence" in the summit's history.
Editor: Wang Guanqun
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 13:43:12
School bus accident kills 11 children in Ecuador
School bus accident kills 11 children in Ecuador
A school bus overturned on a highway and fell into a ravine in northern Ecuador on Friday, killing 11 children.
The accident, which injured another 24 children, took place in La Concepcion, about 30 km from the city of Ibarra, local press reported.
The children were students from the school "Pedro de Arobe." They were on their way home when the accident happened.
The cause of the accident remains to be investigated.
Editor: Mo Hong'e
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 11:50:38 FeedbackPrintRSS
QUITO, Oct. 28 (Xinhua)
A school bus overturned on a highway and fell into a ravine in northern Ecuador on Friday, killing 11 children.
The accident, which injured another 24 children, took place in La Concepcion, about 30 km from the city of Ibarra, local press reported.
The children were students from the school "Pedro de Arobe." They were on their way home when the accident happened.
The cause of the accident remains to be investigated.
Editor: Mo Hong'e
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 11:50:38 FeedbackPrintRSS
QUITO, Oct. 28 (Xinhua)
Haiti to seek membership in Ibero-American summit
Haiti to seek membership in Ibero-American summit
Haiti will seek full membership in the ongoing Ibero-American summit, Haitian Foreign Minister Laurent Lamothe said here Friday.
"During this summit, I want Haiti to be officially considered as a permanent member. This will represent a great achievement for our country," Lamothe said at a press conference.
Haiti currently holds an observer status to the Ibero-American summit.
Lamothe said Haiti's incorporation to the forum will help his country strengthen its relations with the Ibero-American countries.
"We have always felt near the Ibero-American countries, sharing their suffering and celebrating their victories, just as they have shared with us," Lamothe said.
Lamothe was attending the two-day Ibero-American summit taking place here on Friday and Saturday under the theme "Transformation of the State and Development."
Editor: Wang Guanqun
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 10:35:34 FeedbackPrintRSS
ASUNCION, Oct. 28 (Xinhua)
Haiti will seek full membership in the ongoing Ibero-American summit, Haitian Foreign Minister Laurent Lamothe said here Friday.
"During this summit, I want Haiti to be officially considered as a permanent member. This will represent a great achievement for our country," Lamothe said at a press conference.
Haiti currently holds an observer status to the Ibero-American summit.
Lamothe said Haiti's incorporation to the forum will help his country strengthen its relations with the Ibero-American countries.
"We have always felt near the Ibero-American countries, sharing their suffering and celebrating their victories, just as they have shared with us," Lamothe said.
Lamothe was attending the two-day Ibero-American summit taking place here on Friday and Saturday under the theme "Transformation of the State and Development."
Editor: Wang Guanqun
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 10:35:34 FeedbackPrintRSS
ASUNCION, Oct. 28 (Xinhua)
Statue of Liberty celebrates 125th anniversary with high-tech uplift
Statue of Liberty celebrates 125th anniversary with high-tech uplift
New York City celebrated the 125th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty on Friday with the launch of the torch cams to give the U.S. iconic symbol a high-tech uplift.
The five torch cams switched on during the 125th anniversary celebration held on Liberty Island offer panorama views of the New York harbor and Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center. The cams also connect with the Internet to give worldwide Internet users a grand view around the clock.
The celebration also featured a naturalization ceremony for 125 candidates for U.S. citizenship representing over 40 countries and lively performance by famous artists.
A small flotilla of government, commercial and private vessels also offered a salute to the statue at the close of the ceremony. Macy's Fireworks will light up the sky Friday night as the grand finale to the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. "She remains an inspiration for people all around the world," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said during the ceremony.
"She began as a symbol of friendship between France and the United States, evolved into a symbol of our great country, and is known today as an international symbol of freedom for people everywhere," said David Luchsinger, Superintendent of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
The statue, which now is administered by the National Park Service, is due to close Saturday for up to a year so that new stairways and elevators can be installed, among other improvements. However, Liberty Island will remain open.
The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and was dedicated on October 28, 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986.
Editor: Wang Guanqun
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 10:47:55
New York City celebrated the 125th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty on Friday with the launch of the torch cams to give the U.S. iconic symbol a high-tech uplift.
The five torch cams switched on during the 125th anniversary celebration held on Liberty Island offer panorama views of the New York harbor and Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center. The cams also connect with the Internet to give worldwide Internet users a grand view around the clock.
The celebration also featured a naturalization ceremony for 125 candidates for U.S. citizenship representing over 40 countries and lively performance by famous artists.
A small flotilla of government, commercial and private vessels also offered a salute to the statue at the close of the ceremony. Macy's Fireworks will light up the sky Friday night as the grand finale to the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. "She remains an inspiration for people all around the world," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said during the ceremony.
"She began as a symbol of friendship between France and the United States, evolved into a symbol of our great country, and is known today as an international symbol of freedom for people everywhere," said David Luchsinger, Superintendent of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
The statue, which now is administered by the National Park Service, is due to close Saturday for up to a year so that new stairways and elevators can be installed, among other improvements. However, Liberty Island will remain open.
The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and was dedicated on October 28, 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986.
Editor: Wang Guanqun
English.news.cn 2011-10-29 10:47:55
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