Putin may restore tougher tone to relations with U.S.

Vladimir Putin, the former and next president of Russia, has long had a sharp-tongued prickliness about the United States. “Hooligan,” he snapped at one time. “Parasite” was his most recent description.

In contrast, Russia’s current president, Dmitry Medvedev, cast himself as the tech-savvy reformer with a Twitter account , and he mostly smiled at the West.

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Tokyo Moves Closer to Buying a New Generation of Jet Fighters

Japan moved a step closer to buying a new generation of jet fighters after it accepted bids by three of the world's biggest defense contractors for what is expected to be a multibillion dollar deal.

Global economy weekahead: From a soft patch to quicksand

(Reuters) - The global economy was supposed to be better by now.

Americans convicted in Iran say they were hostages

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two American men jailed in Iran for more than two years for spying arrived in New York on Sunday, saying they were innocent and had been held hostage simply because of their nationality.

Saudi women get right to vote, but can't drive yet

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, considered a reformer by the standards of his own ultraconservative kingdom, decreed on Sunday that women will for the first time have the right to vote and run in local elections due in 2015.

It is a "Saudi Spring" of sorts.

For the nation's women, it is a giant leap forward, though they remain unable to serve as Cabinet ministers, drive or travel abroad without permission from a male guardian.

Saudi women bear the brunt of their nation's deeply conservative values, often finding themselves the target of the unwanted attention of the kingdom's intrusive religious police, who enforce a rigid interpretation of Islamic Shariah law on the streets and public places like shopping malls and university campuses.

In itself, Sunday's decision to give the women the right to vote and run in municipal elections may not be enough to satisfy the growing ambition of the kingdom's women who, after years of lavish state spending on education and vocational training, significantly improved their standing but could not secure the same place in society as that of their male compatriots.

That women must wait four more years to exercise their newly acquired right to vote adds insult to injury since Sunday's announcement was already a long time coming — and the next local elections are in fact scheduled for this Thursday.

"Why not tomorrow?

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The real threat in Egypt: Delayed democracy

Is Egypt imploding?

A lot of people in Washington seem to think so, though they are talking about it quietly so far. Their fears are specific: that the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamic fundamentalist parties will take power when Egypt’s first democratic elections are held later this year; and that peace with Israel — the foundation of a 30-year, American-backed order in the Middle East — is “hanging by a thread,” as Robert Satloff of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy put it.

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Pakistan Denies U.S. Allegations of Supporting Extremist Attacks Against Troops in Afghanistan

Pakistan lashed out at the U.S. for accusing the country's most powerful intelligence agency of supporting extremist attacks against American troops in Afghanistan -- the most serious allegations against Islamabad since the beginning of the Afghan war.

Hatch threatens UN funding over Palestine

Hatch threatens UN funding over Palestine

By Matt Canham The Salt Lake Tribune

Published Sep 21, 2011 05:06PM MDT

Washington • If the United Nations recognizes Palestine as a member nation, Sen. Orrin Hatch wants the United States to pull all of its funding for the international organization. Hatch, R-Utah, introduced legislation to that effect on Wednesday, Sept. 21 saying that such a move would hurt Israel and short-circuit any legitimate peace negotiations. “Make no mistake, there will be consequences associated with efforts to undermine the security of America’s friends and allies,” Hatch said. Presiden...

Copyright 2011 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Europe must do more to quell crisis: U.S. official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Europe's debt crisis is the biggest threat to the global economy, the Treasury said on Wednesday, and it called on European policymakers to provide unequivocal support to banks and governments under stress.

IMF: World economy enters "dangerous new phase"

International lending organization sharply downgrades economic outlook for U.S. and Europe through end of next year

Obama anoints new Libyan government

UNITED NATIONS — President Obama announced Tuesday at a U.N. summit that he is reopening the U.S. Embassy in the Libyan capital of Tripoli and returning the American ambassador, underscoring U.S. support for the country’s new government.

The summit provided a rare opportunity for Obama and other world leaders to showcase the triumph of multilateralism during a week marred by discord over the Palestinians’ statehood bid and the assassination of Burhanuddin Rabbani, a former Afghan president who had emerged as a potential peacemaker. But it also highlighted the challenge of bringing stability to Libya, whose institutions were gutted during the 42-year rule of Moammar Gaddafi.

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Greece must speed up cuts, European economic officials warn

BERLIN — European economic officials said Monday that Greece must make deeper, faster budget cuts and economic reforms, pushing the debt-strapped nation to meet promised targets to free up more international help.

With the country perhaps within a few weeks of default on its international loans, top Greek officials conferred with European and international monetary officials about what the country needs to do to free $11 billion of upcoming aid.

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News Analysis: U.S. Is Quietly Getting Ready for Syria Without Assad

The Obama administration is trying to avoid a repeat of what happened in Iraq, where the United States was not fully prepared for the aftermath of a leader’s fall.

Chaotic Gaddafi manhunt leads to Libyan desert triangle

TRIPOLI, Libya — A chaotic and apparently ill-coordinated effort by rebels to track down Moammar Gaddafi is being led by competing factions of military commanders and bounty hunters, as well as Libyan commandos commissioned by civilian leaders.

Libyans involved in the hunt say they are not getting much help from NATO, despite the alliance’s state-of-the-art electronic and aerial surveillance methods. Instead, they are relying on a deluge of human intelligence from informers and witnesses, but seem to be struggling to sift, process and share all the information that is coming in.

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China to Sue ConocoPhillips Over Oil Spills

The two spills occurred in June in the country’s largest offshore oilfield and spread in Bohai Bay.

Gaddafi Loves Himself Some Condi

 "I support my darling black African woman," he said. "I admire and am very proud of the way she leans back and gives orders to the Arab leaders. ... Leezza, Leezza, Leezza. ... I love her very much. I admire her, and I'm proud of her, because she's a black woman of African origin."

N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il arrives in Russia ahead of Medvedev meeting

TOKYO — In a rare foreign visit confirmed by Pyongyang’s state-run media, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il arrived Saturday via armored train in Russia, where he is to discuss economic projects and meet with President Dmitry Medvedev.

A Kremlin statement described the meeting between the leaders as the “main event” during Kim’s trip to the Far East and Siberian regions. The trip comes at a time when the Stalinist dictatorship is pushing for aid and facing international pressure to resume nuclear talks, suspended since early 2009.

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Oil prices down as rebels capture most of Tripoli

share: diggfacebooktwitter SINGAPORE (AP) — Brent crude fell to near $105 a barrel Monday as Libyan rebels captured most of the country's capital, boosting hopes the OPEC nation's oil exports could resume soon. "If the Ghadafi regime falls, Libyan oil production should gradually resume and European markets would directly benefit from that," said Victor Shum, an analyst with energy consultant Purvin & Gertz in Singapore. In other Nymex trading for October contracts, heating oil fell 4.7 cents at $2.87 per gallon and gasoline futures dropped 6.1 cents to $2.65 per gallon.

London riots: Britain weighs personal freedoms against need to keep order

LONDON — After four nights of lawlessness that has upended British society and seen 1,200 alleged looters and arsonists swept off the streets, the government is also targeting a digital culprit: social media.

Governments from China to the authoritarian regimes targeted in the Arab Spring have sought to control social networking sites, fearing their power to connect and organize dissidents hungry for democracy. But Britain is weighing an unprecedented move to intervene in the personal communication of its citizens after concluding just the opposite: that social media, including BlackBerry Messenger and Twitter, are undermining its vibrant democracy.

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Asian Stocks Decline for Sixth Day on Worsening Global Outlook - Bloomberg

The Hindu

Asian Stocks Decline for Sixth Day on Worsening Global Outlook Bloomberg Hong Kong stocks dropped, with the benchmark Hang Seng Index set for its biggest two-day slide since October 2008, after Standard & Poor's cut the US credit rating, raising concern global economic growth ... HK suffers worst one-day loss since '08 crisis, China shares end flatReuters Many global markets enter official bear market territoryUSA Today HK Shares End Down 5.7% But Off Lows; More Volatile Trade TippedWall Street Journal Business Insider -Forbes (blog) -CNBC.com all 960 news articles »

Inflation Climbs in China on Higher Food Prices

Inflation accelerated last month to its fastest pace in three years, with consumer prices up 6.5 percent.

U.S. Imposes Sanctions Against Syrian Businessman

The Obama administration has imposed economic sanctions against a prominent Syrian businessman accused of supporting the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad in its brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters.

Road building key tactic for U.S. in Afghanistan

Soldiers use shovels and backhoes as well as weapons, setting up checkpoints meant to root out Taliban and protect civilians

China, Japan urge global talks on economic crisis

TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China and Japan called for global cooperation on Friday after a financial market rout signaled fear that Europe's debt crisis could spin out of control and the U.S. economy may slide into another recession.

China urges US to handle debt responsibly

share: diggfacebooktwitter BEIJING (AP) — China's central bank governor urged Washington to handle its debt responsibly, warning Wednesday that uncertainty in the market for Treasury debt might harm a global economic recovery. China is the biggest foreign owner of Treasury debt and had appealed to U.S. leaders to protect its $1.1 billion in holdings during last week's debate over raising Washington's borrowing limit and avoiding a possible default. "Large fluctuations and uncertainties in this market would undermine the stability of the international financial system and hinder global recovery," Zhou said. "China hopes the U.S. administration and the Congress would take responsible policy measures to handle its debt issue in light with the interests of the whole world including those of the United States," Zhou said.