Bishkek—The United States and Kyrgyzstan have
signed a deal for U.S. forces to continue using
an air base Washington considers vital for its
operations in nearby Afghanistan, a Kyrgyz
parlia-mentarian said on Tuesday.
Kabul— The new commander of U.S. and NATO forces
in Afghanistan will issue orders within days
requiring troops to disengage from combat when
possible, to reduce civilian deaths that have
put their mission at risk, a spokesman said.
New York—Hundreds of New York City public school
teachers accused of offenses ranging from
in-subordination to sexual misconduct are being
paid their full salaries to sit around all day
playing Scrab-ble, surfing the Internet or just
staring at the wall, if that’s what they want to
do.
Tokyo— North Korea has warned Japan to stay
clear of parts of its eastern coastal waters for
16 days starting Thursday when it plans to
conduct live-fire exercises, the Japan Coast
Guard said Tuesday. “They clearly stated that
the purpose of the warning would be a military
exercise,” a Coast Guard spokesman said after
Japan received an email alert from authorities
in the hardline communist nation.
Manila—House Speaker Prospero Nograles suspended
work at the House of Representatives from
Tuesday noon until Sunday after receiving a
report that the Philippines’ first reported
influenza A (H1N1) death was an employee of the
lower House.
