LOST IN THE DARK RIDE

Posted  | Comment  | Recommend | | | BEIJING (AP) — With Tibetan exiles now considering whether to push for independence, China on Tuesday reaffirmed it’s hard-line stance on the future of the Himalayan region, saying that any move to separate Tibet from China was “doomed.” The comments from Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang came as more than 500 Tibetan exile leaders in India held all-day closed door discussions Tuesday as part of a week-long meeting, the first major re-evaluation of their strategy since the Dalai Lama in 1988 outlined his Nobel Peace Prize-winning “middle way,” which pushes for autonomy but not outright independence for the Himalayan region. The…

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Venezuelan opposition sees an opening in regional elections Ariana Cubillos / APCarlos Serrenio, 35, grimaces in pain as doctors treat him for a gunshot wound in one of Caracas’ public hospitals on Saturday.By Juan Forero The Washington Post CARACAS, Venezuela - Three of Miriam Sánchez’s sons had already been shot dead in neighborhoods where the crackle of gunfire is a nightly occurrence. So she feared the worst when word arrived one recent night that her 24-year-old son, José Luis Arias, had been shot. Sánchez found his bullet-riddled body off one of the narrow passageways of a violent slum — another murder among thousands that have made Venezuela one of the world’s most violent countries….

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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Officials say a Qantas jetliner that was damaged by a midair explosion over the South China Sea in July has sustained more damage in a collision with another Qantas aircraft on an Australian airport tarmac. Qantas general manager of engineering David Cox said in a statement that both Boeing 747 jets were being towed and had no passengers aboard when they collided Tuesday at the Qantas maintenance base at Avalon Airport, outside Melbourne. Cox said the extent of the damage to both aircraft was being assessed. On July 25, an oxygen tank exploded aboard one of the jets, ripping a gaping hole in the fuselage and…

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BEIJING - China has put a cloud over talks in India by exiled Tibetan leaders on the future of the Himalayan region, saying any moves to separate Tibet from China will fail. “Any attempt to separate Tibet from Chinese territory will be doomed,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a news conference today. “The so-called Tibet government in exile is not recognized by any government in the world.” Qin’s comments came as more than 500 Tibetan exile leaders planned all-day closed door discussions Tuesday as part of a weeklong meeting, the first major re-evaluation of their strategy since the Dalai Lama in 1988 outlined his Nobel Peace Prize-winning “middle way,” which pushes for autonomy but…

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Wall Street finished sharply lower yesterday as investors pored over more signs of economic weakness, including a huge round of layoffs in the financial sector. After a turbulent week that sent the Dow Jones industrials down nearly 340 points, investors found little solace in the latest news. Stocks zigzagged throughout the session, finally giving way to a stream of late-day selling that left the Dow Jones industrials lower by 223 points. is cutting…

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18 Nov 2008, 1340 hrs IST, AP               Text: BEIJING: China insisted on Tuesday that any effort by Tibetan exiles to seek independence for their homeland would fail, as they held talks in India on a new strategy for their campaign against Chinese rule. “Our position on Tibet is clear and resolute. Any attempt to separate Tibet from China is doomed to fail,” foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters. “The so-called Tibetan government-in-exile is not recognised by any government in the world.” Qin’s comments come as Tibetan leaders are…

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By Jeff Gammage Last of two parts. INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LUSHAN, China - The cinema in this resort city has been showing the same movie for 28 years. Seriously. It’s called , and it was filmed here. It’s the not-so-epic saga of a young couple whose romance is imperiled by the villainous Gang of Four. But having a theater that screens only one movie is not the oddest thing about the town. To see that, you need to look closer. This tourist enclave in northern Jiangxi Province is holy ground for the Communist Party, home to the summer villas of Mao Tse-tung and Deng Xiaoping. Yet the houses of the men who led China to atheist communism sit side by side with a meticulously restored 1910…

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WASHINGTON—Sen. Joe Lieberman appears increasingly likely to hold onto his prized chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee as he meets Tuesday with Democratic colleagues unhappy over his vocal support for GOP nominee John McCain during this year’s presidential campaign. Not long ago, Lieberman’s hold on his chairmanship seemed to be slipping as Democrats sought to punish him for boosting McCain and criticizing President-elect Barack Obama during the long campaign. Now, according to several Democratic aides who demanded anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, it appears that Lieberman will receive a lesser sanction, such as losing a subcommittee chairmanship on…

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HAVANA - President Hu Jintao began a two-day visit to Cuba by agreeing to increase Chinese purchases of Cuban nickel and sugar, and send farm goods to the communist-run island as it recovers from three devastating storms. Hu arrived in Cuba late Monday on the second leg of a Latin American tour that comes as China expands its diplomacy and investments in the resource-rich region. Earlier, the Chinese leader announced the start of free trade talks with Costa Rica in January. Even as Cuban state television broadcast images of Hu arriving at Havana’s airport, it was already announcing the signing of the trade and investment accords. The governments were expected to sign more economic agreements…

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France has presented a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council aimed at strengthening the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The move would increase the number of UN troops in the country by 3,000. At present, there are about 17,000 soldiers and police in DR Congo - the biggest UN force of its kind. Clashes between government and rebel forces in the east have driven hundreds of thousands…

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