NEW YORK – Citigroup said it was profitable in the first two  months of the year and U.S. stock markets cheered the rare good  news, but the IMF issued a dire warning of a “Great Recession”  and several major industrialized nations provided grim snapshots  of the global economic crisis.

WASHINGTON – The United States accused China yesterday of  adopting a more aggressive military stance in the South China  Sea as a naval confrontation sparked anger in Beijing and raised  tension ahead of a U.S. visit by China’s foreign minister.

NAIROBI – Thousands of students protested against alleged  police killings in Kenya yesterday and the demonstration slid  into violence with shops ransacked, journalists beaten and  officers pelted with stones.

BAGHDAD – A suicide bomber killed at least 28 people in an  attack on tribal leaders and security officials in western  Baghdad yesterday, the second big attack in the Iraqi capital  in three days.

BELFAST – Irish and British politicians vowed yesterday to  defend the peace process between Northern Ireland’s Protestants  and Catholics after attacks by republican splinter groups  threatened a return to conflict.

WASHINGTON – Iran still lacks weapons-grade highly enriched  uranium and has not yet made a decision on whether to produce  any, U.S. intelligence officials told Congress yesterday.