The World

By: JournalNow Staff | JOURNAL WIRE REPORT
Published: November 09, 2009

At least 91 die in floods, mudslides in El Salvador

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador -- Three days of heavy rains in El Salvador touched off floods and slides that have killed at least 91 people, the government said yesterday.

Dozens are still missing, and about 7,000 are in shelters, Interior Minister Humberto Centeno said at a news conference.

Chavez orders his military to prepare for possible war

CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez ordered Venezuela's military yesterday to prepare for a possible armed conflict with Colombia, saying that the United States might try to provoke a war between the South American neighbors.

"The best way to avoid war is preparing for it," Chavez told military officers standing at attention during his weekly television and radio program.

Convoy with prosecutor ambushed in Honduras

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Honduran police say that gunmen ambushed a convoy carrying the country's top prosecutor, but neither he nor his bodyguards were harmed.

Attorney General Luis Alberto Rubi was unhurt. One car was damaged.

Saudis clear Shiite rebels from Yemen border base

SAN'A, Yemen -- Saudi Arabian forces seized a strategic mountain straddling the border with Yemen and cleared it of Shiite rebels, a Saudi defense official said yesterday.

The Saudi government cooperates with Yemen to fight the Shiite rebels.

Iran tells Russia to stop delay in defense system

TEHRAN, Iran -- A senior Iranian legislator warned Russia that its delay in delivering an anti-aircraft missile defense system to Tehran could harm relations between the two countries, state television reported yesterday.

Russia signed a contract two years ago to sell the S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Iran but has not made any deliveries.

China pledges $10 billion in loans to African nations

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt -- China's premier pledged yesterday $10 billion in low-interest loans to African nations over the next three years and said it would cancel the debts of some of the poorest of those countries.

The announcement by Wen Jiabao appeared to be an effort to deflect criticism that China's investments in the continent were motivated purely by greed.