U.S., Britain to stop aid to Syria rebels forces
BEIRUT – The U.S. and Britain said Wednesday they were suspending deliveries to rebels in northern Syria of nonlethal aid such as communications equipment and laptops after some of the gear was seized by Islamic militants.
The decision reflected fears of the growing strength of al-Qaida-linked forces in the civil war, complicating the West’s goal of bolstering the moderate opposition and persuading President Bashar Assad to step down.
Humanitarian aid such as food and blankets would not be affected, officials said, as a blustery storm dumped snow and torrential rain in the region and plunged temperatures below freezing, heaping more misery on refugees inside and outside Syria.
Brazil delays launch of new car-safety rules
RIO DE JANEIRO – The Brazilian government may delay “by one or two years” the implementation of a law requiring automakers to install frontal air bags and anti-lock braking systems in all new cars, the finance minister said Wednesday.
Safety advocates decried the idea of any delay, saying that in terms of safety, Brazilian cars are already decades behind those produced for consumers in the U.S. and Europe despite Brazil now being the globe’s No. 4 auto market.
Earlier this year, an Associated Press investigation into the safety record of cars sold in Brazil found they had significantly fewer safeguards than the same or similar models sold in the U.S. and Europe.
General warns of threat without Afghan deal
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – America’s top military officer warned the withdrawal of most U.S. and allied forces from Afghanistan by the end of next year could reverse gains made in the war against the Taliban and further destabilize the region.
But Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. has no plans to reopen negotiations on the hard-won text. Dempsey said he hasn’t started planning for a so-called “zero-option,” but he may have to soon if Hamid Karzai doesn’t change his mind and sign the deal.
Much is at stake. Afghan security forces are still struggling against a resilient insurgency despite billions of dollars spent on training during nearly 13 years at war. Instability in Afghanistan, the world’s largest illicit producer of raw opium, could also impact the region as far away as Russia. Such concerns, Dempsey said, are what make Afghanistan important to America and its allies.
Supreme Court upholds anti-gay law in India
NEW DELHI – India’s Supreme Court struck down a 2009 lower court decision to decriminalize homosexual conduct, dealing a blow Wednesday to gay activists who have fought for years for the chance to live openly in India’s deeply conservative society.
The judges said only lawmakers could change a colonial-era law that bans homosexual acts and makes them punishable by up to a decade in prison.
“We cannot be forced back into the closet. We are not backing off from our fight against discrimination,” said Gautam Bhan, an activist who had petitioned the court.
Associated Press
