President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that Iran would talk to the U.S. if it “corrects its behavior,” but the White House said there would be no discussions until Tehran took a more constructive role in the region. Ahmadinejad accused the Bush administration of pursuing a foreign policy based on aggression, oppression, unilateralism and disrespect for other nations.
Climbers missing in Nepal
Four French climbers trying to scale a mountain in northern Nepal have been missing since last week, officials said Tuesday. The climbers were attempting to scale the 19,340-foot Mt. Paldor, about 50 miles north of the capital Katmandu. It is considered relatively easy to climb and categorized by mountaineering authorities as a “trekking peak.”
China water pollution widespread
The UN said Tuesday that China has made progress in increasing access to water for its citizens but still faces serious challenges in fighting pollution. Water pollution and a lack of clean drinking water are some of the most serious problems facing China, with most of its canals, rivers and lakes severely tainted by agricultural, industrial and household pollution.
Dengue fever under control
An epidemic of dengue fever that flooded hospitals and might have killed as many as 100 Cubans has been brought under control by a fumigation campaign involving 300,000 students, pensioners and health-care workers. The outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus was the worst in a quarter of a century and appears to have afflicted thousands during its September and October peak.
AND FINALLY
Dead man driving?
A dead man has been blamed for hundreds of speeding offenses in Australia in what police believe is a major fraud designed to help motorists avoid traffic fines. Police in Sydney said 240 people were under investigation in a case where hundreds of motorists blamed either the same dead man, or a person living in another state, for driving their cars at the time of the offenses.
