Pakistani, Afghan leaders seek Taliban talks

ISLAMABAD – Pakistani and Afghan leaders vowed yesterday to seek dialogue with Taliban insurgents, saying the “door is now open” for reconciliation.

Syria orders US school, cultural centre closed * DAMASCUS – The Syrian government has ordered that an American school and a US cultural centre in Damascus be closed in response to a deadly raid by US helicopters near the Syrian border with Iraq. Iraqi militant to hang for killing US soldiers * BAGHDAD – An Iraqi militant accused of killing three American soldiers in a grisly checkpoint ambush was convicted yesterday and sentenced to death by hanging.Two other men accused in the 2006 deaths were acquitted.UN appeals for more than $60 m for Haiti * UNITED NATIONS – The UN humanitarian chief appealed to donor countries on Monday for more than $60 million to help Haiti recover from storms that killed hundreds of people and heavily damaged the Caribbean nation’s agricultural base.Syringes spark search for Canadian patients * CALGARY – Public health officials in Alberta are looking for 2 700 former patients of a small hospital in the western Canadian province, after staff there reused syringes to administer medication through intravenous lines.Iraqi militant to hang for killing US soldiers * BAGHDAD – An Iraqi militant accused of killing three American soldiers in a grisly checkpoint ambush was convicted yesterday and sentenced to death by hanging.Two other men accused in the 2006 deaths were acquitted.UN appeals for more than $60 m for Haiti * UNITED NATIONS – The UN humanitarian chief appealed to donor countries on Monday for more than $60 million to help Haiti recover from storms that killed hundreds of people and heavily damaged the Caribbean nation’s agricultural base.Syringes spark search for Canadian patients * CALGARY – Public health officials in Alberta are looking for 2 700 former patients of a small hospital in the western Canadian province, after staff there reused syringes to administer medication through intravenous lines.