Tourism blossoms in Kuwait

In an ancient crossroads of desert and sea, a mixture of the 21st century and the timeless coexists KUWAIT - In this ancient crossroads of sand and sea, a fascinating mixture coexists of the 21st century and the timeless. Best known in the United States as the country liberated from Saddam Hussein by US and coalition troops in the 1991 Gulf War, and later as the staging point for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, this postage-stamp-size emirate on the Persian Gulf has undergone a dizzying building boom. Dazzling, futuristic office towers dot the downtown and waterfront boulevards of this sprawling city, while the latest Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs roam its streets in weaving, near-reckless fashion - usually with one cellphone, and sometimes two,...

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US immigration officials say man who died in Honduras prison fire was wrongly deported

LOS ANGELES — A Honduran citizen living in Los Angeles was wrongly deported in October, and went on to die in last month’s massive prison fire in his home country, immigration officials said Friday. Nelson Avila-Lopez, 20, was mistakenly deported in October, and was one of the 360 inmates who died in the Feb. 14 fire at the Comayagua prison in Honduras, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told KPCC radio in a statement. Four years earlier in an attempt to avoid gang recruitment in Honduras, Avila-Lopez crossed the border illegally at age 16 to be with his mother in Los Angeles, KPCC reported. In September he was detained and slated for deportation, but his lawyer argued Avila-Lopez would face danger from gang members if he had to go back to Honduras, and a stay was automatically granted...

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Pakistan, India to normalize trade by year's end

By CHRIS BRUMMITT Associated Press ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan will normalize trade with India by the end of this year, the government said Wednesday, indicating its resolve to improve relations with its regional rival despite opposition from Islamist groups and some domestic industries. The neighboring, nuclear-armed countries have fought three wars since 1947, and much hostility remains. The push to remove trade barriers between them has led to hopes of closer political ties and, eventually, resolution to their long-standing disputes. A government statement said Pakistan would phase out restrictions on imports from India by December, part of a commitment it made last year to liberalize trade with New Delhi. Pakistan currently severely restricts...

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Irish vote on EU treaty poses ‘crucial risk’

Ireland added another dose of uncertainty to the future of the European Union by setting plans for a referendum on the fiscal treaty designed to keep the debt-swamped continent intact. The decision came Tuesday, the day after the German parliament approved a fresh €130-billion ($174-billion) bailout package for Greece and the same day that the EU, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank (the so-called troika) approved the next tranche of bailout loans for recession-stricken Portugal. Although the referendum was expected – the Irish constitution requires democratic votes on sovereignty-transfer decisions – it puts some doubt over Ireland’s ongoing membership in the 17-country euro zone. If the Irish people reject...

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Student Finds U.S. Immigration Laws Tough To Navigate

NORTH MIAMI (CBS4) – The North Miami High School Valedictorian fighting to stay in the United States has hired a new attorney. On Friday, Daniela Pelaez, 18, retained Nera Shefer to fight a potential deportation back to her native Colombia. On Monday an immigration judge granted Pelaez an order for voluntary deportation. “As part of the strategy of the case sometimes we as lawyers sometimes recommend to take this. Yes it is something that we have to request,” said Shefer. “But its not offered to everybody and sometimes we do take that in lieu of a deportation order. But at the end of the day, it could have the same effect and it appears in Daniela’s case, it would have that same effect if nothing is done immediately.” The immigration judge...

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Serbia wins support for joining EU European foreign ministers back Balkan nation's candidacy despite resistance from neighbour Romania

The Serbian president, Boris Tadic, speaks in Brussels on Tuesday. Photograph: Virginia Mayo/AP Serbia took a large step towards integrating with mainstream Europe on Tuesday when European Union foreign ministers called for the country to be made a candidate for union membership. The breakthrough came despite surprising resistance from neighbouring Romania, and followed a deal last week when Belgrade abandoned boycotting the attendance of Kosovo at regional and international meetings because it views Kosovo as part of Serbia and refuses to recognise its independence. The decision by the foreign ministers, which needs to be endorsed by EU government heads at a Brussels summit on Thursday, puts Serbia on the path to EU membership, leaving...

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Russia offers to restore ties with Georgia

AFP - Russia on Friday offered to restore diplomatic ties with Georgia for the first time since the neighbours waged a five-day war in 2008 over the status of two of Georgia's breakaway regions. The foreign ministry said it welcomed a proposal from Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili this week to offer visa-free travel to Russians and was looking to build on this gesture of good will. "We would like to once again underscore that we remain interested in strengthening ties between the people of Russia and Georgia," the Russian ministry said in a statement. "We are ready, on a mutual basis, to introduce visa-free travel for the citizens of Georgia. For this, it is necessary for Georgia to ensure ... the safety of Russians visiting Georgia. "We...

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