Egypt’s president offers nothing to defuse crisis
CAIRO (AP) — An angry Mohammed Morsi refused Thursday to call off a referendum on a disputed constitution that has sparked Egypt‘s worst political crisis in two years, drawing chants of “topple the regime!” from protesters who waved their shoes in…
photo: AP / Maya Alleruzzo
U.S., Russia discuss future of Syria
DUBLIN — Diplomatic efforts to end Syria‘s civil war moved forward yesterday with U.S. Secretary of State joining Russian Foreign Minister and UN peace envoy for extraordinary three-way talks that suggested Washington and Moscow might finally unite…
photo: AP / Jim Watson, Pool
Apple and Samsung back in court
Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics squared off again in court today, as the iPhone maker prepares to convince a US district judge to ban sales of a number of the Korean company’s devices and defend a US$1.05 billion jury award. Apple scored…
Oscar Niemeyer Dies: Brazilian Architect Passes Away At 104
Posted: December 6, 2012 Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, who was most well-known for helping to build the capital of Brasilia, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 104. Niemeyer died at the Hospital Samaritano in Rio de Janeiro of a respiratory…
photo: AP / Silvia Izquierdo, File
UN makes urgent call for Yemen dialogue
NEW YORK ‘ The United Nations made an urgent call Tuesday for Yemen’s political parties to initiate a national dialogue, warning that its transition was under threat. The UN-brokered power transition deal that eased president Ali Abdullah Saleh out…
photo: UN / Evan Schneider
Does the UN’s observer state status change Palestine’s position?
TIMES VIEW Palestine‘s on stronger ground With over two-thirds of the United Nations voting to give Palestine non-member observer state status, the latter’s on stronger ground than ever before. Crucially, coming on the 65th anniversary of the same…
photo: UN / Devra Berkowitz
NATO pledges continued support for Afghanistan
NATO combat troops are set to pull out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Member states have promised continued commitment, but key questions still need to be resolved. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is full of praise for the transfer…
photo: US Army / Jenny Lui
Differing Afghan, US priorities could hurt proposed security agreement
KABUL — When Afghan and American negotiators sat down here last month to begin talks on a bilateral security agreement that would define and govern a long-term U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, their meeting was cordial, vague and brief….
photo: UN / Evan Schneider
CLIMATE CHANGE: In the Arab world, building fridges to live in an oven
DOHA, 5 December 2012 (IRIN) – In the last three decades, 50 million people in the Arab world have been affected by natural disasters, many of them extreme climate events, according to a new report by the World Bank. The report projects the horrific…
photo: UN / Paulo Filgueiras
Mars Rover Detects Simple Organic Compounds
NASA‘s Mars rover Curiosity has detected several simple carbon-based organic compounds on Mars, but it remains unclear whether they were formed via Earthly contamination or whether they contain only elements indigenous to the planet.Speaking at the…
photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech/MSSS
UN to withdraw non-essential staff from Syria
Missions to Syria cancelled and remaining staff on standby to move, in final step before full-scale evacuation Jihad Makdissi has reportedly been sacked as Syria’s foreign ministry spokesman, the first high-profile departure from the Assad regime in…
photo: UN / Rick Bajornas
UN Secretary General condemns proposed Israeli settlements
UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon has criticized Israel‘s proposed new West Bank settlements, saying they’ll deal a “fatal blow” to peace. The comments follow Israel’s confiscation of tax and tariff funds from Palestine. Ban Ki-moon (pictured above)…
photo: UN / Evan Schneider
AP IMPACT: China Overtaking US As Global Trader
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) â?? Shin Cheol-soo no longer sees his future in the United States. The South Korean businessman supplied components to American automakers for a decade. But this year, he uprooted his family from Detroit and moved home to…
photo: AP / Eugene Hoshiko
SOMALIA: Illegal migration on the rise in Somaliland
HARGEISA, 3 December 2012 (IRIN) – More youths from the self-declared republic of Somaliland are illegally migrating from the region, mainly due to a lack of jobs, traveling through Ethiopia, Sudan and Libya on their way to Europe, say officials….
photo: UN / Evan Schneider
More than 50 killed in Afghan violence in 2 days
by Farid Behbud, Chen Xin KABUL, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) — More than 50 people with majority of them militants have been killed in Afghanistan since Saturday morning, authorities said Sunday. A total of 14 people were killed when Taliban carried out…
photo: US Navy / Josh Ives
UN chief: Israel’s construction plans ‘fatal blow’ to two-state solution
Turkey requests Nato missile defences amid Syria chemical weapons fears
A Dutch Patriot missile installation. The Dutch and German parliaments are expected to approve the deployment of Patriot systems in Turkey this week. Photograph: Robert Vos/EPA Turkey asked for Nato Patriot missile defences to be deployed on its…
photo: UN / Evan Schneider
UN Security Council welcomes continued cooperation between Iraq and Kuwait
Print 1 December 2012 – The United Nations Security Council welcomes the continued cooperation of the Governments of Iraq and Kuwait, the 15-member said today in a press statement today. In addition, it welcomed “Iraq’s continued…
photo: UN / UN
Explosions, shooting heard at U.S. base in Afghanistan
JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Two explosions and shooting were heard at a U.S. base in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Sunday, a Reuters witness said. The Taliban said they carried out an attack on the compound and inflicted casualties….
photo: US Navy / Josh Ives
Merkel Does Not Rule Out Future Greek Debt ‘Haircut’
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday that Greece‘s creditors may look at writing down more of its debt but not before the current bailout program has run its course. Last Tuesday euro zone finance ministers and the IMFÂ approved a package…
photo: AP / Thanassis Stavrakis
US Senate Passes New Sanctions on Iran
The U.S. Senate approved a new round of economic sanctions against Iran Friday, ignoring warnings by the White House that the additional measures could prove counter-productive to the goal of persuading Iran to curb its nuclear programme. The 94-0…
photo: AP / Charles Dharapak
HIV/AIDS Afflicts Migrants Living in Wealthy Countries
GENEVA â?? The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is calling on governments to provide migrants with preventive care and treatment for HIV/AIDS. To mark this year’s World AIDS Day, IOM is focusing on the plight of migrants who,…
photo: UN / Devra Berkowitz
Kansas City Police: Chiefs player killed girlfriend, then self
Video: KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend early Saturday, then drove to Arrowhead Stadium and committed suicide in front of his coach and general manager after first thanking them for…
Manning testifies at pretrial hearing
Army private Bradley Manning, charged in the largest leak of classified material in American history, spoke at length on Thursday about his treatment in military custody, saying he grew distressed and considered suicide. In a clear voice and often…
photo: AP / Patrick Semansky
China’s Taking The Gloves Off In The South China Sea By Boarding Ships Any Place It Likes
The Hainan province in reference to the disputed territories of the South China SeaStarting January 1 police in the southern Chinese Island province of Hainan will board and search ships which enter what China considers its territory in the South…
photo: US Navy / U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Benjamin Stratton
2.5% of HIV positive in Jharkhand, children
November 29: Out of the 23,600 HIV positive people in Jharkhand, 2.5 per cent are children, a UNICEF release said here today. Quoting a report by National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), the UNICEF said 91% of the HIV positive people are aged…
photo: AP / Bikas Das
Internet down nationwide in Syria
BEIRUT — The Syrian government shut down the Internet across the country and cut cellphone services in select areas Thursday, as rebels and government troops waged fierce battles near the capital’s airport, wounding two Austrian…
photo: AP / SHAMSNN
Kosovo Celebrates War Crimes Acquittal of Former PM, Serbia Angry
Kosovars are celebrating a U.N. court’s acquittal of former prime minister Ramush Haradinaj and two of his associates of war crimes, while Serbia has expressed outrage at the verdict. The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the former…
photo: AP / Visar Kryeziu
George H.W. Bush Hospitalized With Bronchitis: Report
Former President George H.W. Bush is being held at Houston’s Methodist Hospital on Thursday after undergoing treatment for bronchitis, CNN and the Houston Chronicle report….
UN extends arms embargo on Congo rebels
By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press | November 28, 2012 | Updated: November 28, 2012 2:34pm Comments (0) E-mail Print…
photo: UN
Congo War: Everything You Need To Know To Understand The Conflict In Goma
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photo: AP / Jerome Delay
US STOCKS-Wall St rises as ‘fiscal cliff’ remarks lift market
* Top Republican lawmaker optimistic can avert fiscal crisis * Getco, Virtu make rival bids for Knight Capital * Costco to pay special dividend * Dow up 0.5 pct, S&P 500 up 0.3 pct, Nasdaq up 0.3 pct By Rodrigo Campos NEW YORK, Nov 28 (Reuters) -…
photo: AP / Richard Drew
Extreme weather calls for urgent action, UN says
Extreme weather from melting Arctic ice to Superstorm Sandy shows snail-paced UN climate talks have to do more to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the head of the UN weather agency and its climate chief said. “Climate change is taking place before our…
photo: UN / /Evan Schneider
Ban appoints Abdullah Al Matouq as Humanitarian Envoy for Kuwait
Print 28 November 2012 Â? Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Abdullah Al Matouq of Kuwait to work closely with the United Nations humanitarian chief to build stronger partnerships in Kuwait and the Persian Gulf region….
photo: UN / Eskinder Debebe
Russia reports 12% rise in HIV – 200 new cases a day
The number of HIV cases in Russia was 12% higher in the first six months of 2012 than in the same period last year, government health experts say. Official data shows that in the first 10 months, 703,781 Russians had the virus, of whom 90,396 died….
photo: UN / Violaine Martin
Channing Tatum Will Not Have to Battle Kim Jong-un for Sexiest Man Alive 2012 Title …
Each year, as dictated by a lost commandment obtained exclusively by People magazine, only one male can be named the Sexiest Man Alive. If any man would like to challenge People’s selection, he will have to do so in a Sexiest Man Alive–Off forum,…
India PM Singh confident of parliament vote
Indian PM Manmohan Singh says his government is confident of winning a test of strength in parliament over its controversial decision to open the retail sector to foreign competition. Parliament has been deadlocked over the issue since last week….
photo: PIB of India
U.S.: China not manipulating its currency
The Obama administration declined Tuesday to label China a currency manipulator, noting that it has let the yuan rise nearly 10 percent in value against the dollar since June 2010. The decision came in a twice-a-year Treasury report on whether any…
photo: AP / EyePress
Panel discusses relevance of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz at United Nations headquarters
JAIPUR: The teachings of 12th century Sufi saint Khwaja Gharib Nawaz are timeless and commemorating his 800th annual Urs (death ceremony) at United Nations headquarters is relevant, observed the UN during a panel discussion. The theme of the panel…
photo: UN / Devra Berkowitz
UN nuclear agency reports being hacked
VIENNA – The International Atomic Energy Agency has acknowledged that one of its servers has been hacked. The U.N. nuclear watchdog commented Tuesday after a previously unknown group critical of Israel‘s undeclared nuclear weapons program posted…
photo: UN / Rick Bajornas
American Drones Ignite New Arms Race From Gaza To Iran To China
WASHINGTON — The drone wars are here….
photo: AP / Sepahnews
Insurgent attacks kill 30, wound dozens in Iraq
SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press | November 27, 2012 | Updated: November 27, 2012 2:00pm Comments (0) E-mail Print…
photo: US Navy / Josh Ives
Palestinians warn: back UN statehood bid or risk boosting Hamas
Failure to support limited recognition would undermine Abbas and validate armed resistance to Israel for many, officials warn Confronted with a Palestinian application to go to the international court, Hillary Clinton reportedly said: ‘Don’t you even…
photo: UN / Paulo Filgueiras
Palestinians predict historic UN vote on statehood
UN condemns genital mutilation
New York – The United Nations General Assembly on Monday passed its first resolution condemning female genital mutilation, which opponents say more than 140-million women worldwide have had to endure. Though outlawed in most nations, the measure…
photo: WN / Eteh
Time Nominates Pussy Riot for 2012 Person of the Year
NEW YORK, November 27 (RIA Novosti) – Members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot were nominated by influential magazine Time for the 2012 Person of the Year. The punk band is among 40 candidates, who influenced news this year for better or worse….
photo: AP / Misha Japaridze
California confronts a sea change
Governors Andrew Cuomo of New York and Chris Christie of New Jersey don’t need to wait on gridlocked Washington to confront future risks from climate-change intensified storms. They can instead look at how California is already moving forward on…
photo: AP / Mike Groll, File
Brazil oil revenue: Mass protest in Rio de Janeiro
Thousands of people have protested in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro against a bill they say will deprive Rio state of much of its oil revenue. They are asking President Dilma Rousseff to veto the bill, which has been approved by Brazil‘s…
photo: AP / Silvia Izquierdo
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak to leave politics
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Monday that he will be resigning from politics after Israel‘s January 22 legislative vote. Barak said he would remain in his post until a new government is formed following the election. Israel’s…
Divisive Election in Spain’s Catalonia Gives Win to Separatist Parties
BARCELONA, Spain — Voters in Catalonia delivered victory to separatist parties in a regional election on Sunday, raising the likelihood that Spain’s most powerful economic region will hold an independence referendum that Madrid has vowed…
photo: AP / Emilio Morenatti
FIFA names Brazil’s World Cup mascot ‘Fuleco’
SAO PAULO: FIFA has named the mascot for the 2014 Brazil World Cup “Fuleco,” a word which organisers say transmits a message of environmental awareness. Almost half of the more than 1.7 million people who…
photo: Creative Commons / Ricardo Stuckert
Suicide blasts at Nigeria military base kill 11
Twin suicide car bombs exploded Sunday at a church inside one of Nigeria‘s top military bases, killing at least 11 people and wounding another 30 in an embarrassing attack showing the continued insecurity that haunts Africa‘s most populous nation. No…
photo: AP / George Osodi
Vettel Wins 3rd Straight F1 Title In Brazil
SAO PAULO (AP) — Sebastian Vettel captured his third straight Formula One championship title Sunday, overcoming a first-lap crash to finish sixth in a Brazilian Grand Prix won by Jenson Button under pouring rain. “It’s difficult to find the right…
photo: AP / Gero Breloer
Japan PM, opposition chief clash over monetary policy
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on Sunday that the opposition’s call for radical monetary easing to beat chronic deflation was “dangerous” and defended the independence of the central bank, countering arguments by the…
photo: AP / Apichart Weerawong
World News of the Day From Across the Globe
1 Shiites killed: A roadside bomb killed at least seven people, including three children, and wounded 30 others at a Shiite Muslim procession in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, police said. About 100 Shiites were passing through the city of Dera…
photo: UN
Israel’s shame: Children, the true victims
The rockets slammed in, two in succession, just after 11.30 at night. When Huda Tawfil had shaken herself awake through the confusion and terror, her first thoughts were for her baby. Seeing what she did through the smoke and flames, she burst into…
photo: WN / Ahmed Deeb
ETA set conditions to disband
Spain‘s armed Basque separatist group ETA has expressed its readiness to discuss disbanding with France and Spain if certain conditions are met. IIn a statement published on a Basque news site on Saturday, the group said it was ready to “listen to…
Pope Appoints 6 New Cardinals To Elect His Successor, No Europeans 
Posted: November 24, 2012 Pope Benedict XVI appointed six new cardinals on Saturday and as many Vatican watchers have noted, none of the six were European. Cardinals, sometimes called princes of the Church, are select Catholic bishops who as a group…
photo: AP / Gregorio Borgia
Psy’s “Gangnam Style” Becomes Most-Watched YouTube Video of All Time
As it turns out, it’s not just Justin Bieber‘s world….
photo: AP / Jason DeCrow
Catalan Vote Could Be a First Step Toward Self-Rule
MADRID — The depth of Catalonia‘s challenge to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy should become clear on Sunday, when an early election could help determine whether Spain‘s most powerful economic region eventually splits from the rest of the…
photo: AP / Emilio Morenatti
Sierra Leone’s Incumbent President Wins 2nd Term
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — Sierra Leone’s incumbent president handily won re-election and was sworn in late Friday by the country’s chief justice, as the capital of the war-scarred country erupted in drumming and celebration. Connect With Us…
photo: WN / John Sahid
Rise up against corruption – Mbeki
Johannesburg – Former president Thabo Mbeki has urged the people of Africa to celebrate the ANC’s centenary by rising against political and other leaders who abuse power for self-enrichment at the expense of the masses. Delivering a lecture at…
photo: AP / Gianluigi Guercia
Curfew imposed in Kashmir Valley ahead of anti-Israeli protests
Tweet Srinagar, Nov.23 (ANI): Authorities in the Kashmir Valley have imposed a curfew, as the hardline faction of the separatist Hurriyat Conference called for a mass protest in the valley on Friday against the killing of Palestinian people in…
photo: WN / Imran Nissar
Philippines, Vietnam protest map in China passport
OLIVER TEVES Associated Press= MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A map that China has incorporated into its passports has drawn diplomatic fury because it appears to claim the entire South China Sea, ignoring competing claims from the Philippines, Vietnam…
photo: AP
Brazil’s first black Supreme Court president is worn in
BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazil’s Supreme Court is now headed by a black justice for the first time. Joaquim Barbosa was sworn in on Thursday. He’d already become the only black to have served on the court when he joined it in 2003, even…
photo: AP / Fabio Pozzebom
Russia Opposes NATO Missiles on Turkey-Syria Border
Russia has warned against NATO‘s possible deployment of Patriot missiles near Turkey‘s border with Syria. Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Thursday that Turkey’s request for deployment to the Western military alliance…
photo: U.S. Army/Jeffrey Hall
Technology used to track Saudi women’s movements
DENIED the right to travel without consent from their male guardians and banned from driving, women in Saudi Arabia are now monitored by an electronic system that tracks any cross-border movements. Since last week, Saudi women’s male guardians began…
photo: AP / Hassan Ammar
Cyprus says close to bailout deal with EU/IMF lenders
NICOSIA (Reuters) – Cash-strapped Cyprus is close to agreeing a bailout package with the European Union and International Monetary Fund, President Demetris Christofias said on Thursday as officials from the lenders left the country after the latest…
Egypt announces Hamas-Israel ceasefire
CAIRO/GAZA – Israel and the Islamist Hamas movement agreed on Wednesday to an Egyptian-sponsored ceasefire to halt an eight-day conflict around the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 140 Palestinians and five Israelis. Announcing the ceasefire in Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said it would come into force at 9 p.m. (1900 GMT)…
photo: WN / Ahmed Deeb
China rules out new climate ‘regime’, setting up US conflict
China, India, South Africa and Brazil say a climate agreement expected to take effect in 2020 won’t be a “new regime,” potentially setting up a confrontation with the United States, which is seeking to eliminate a firewall in negotiations between…
photo: AP / Alexander F. Yuan
Israel-Gaza Conflict 2012: Rockets Fired Toward Jerusalem From Gaza
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photo: Creative Commons / David Katz
Former UBS trader convicted of fraud
A former UBS trader has been convicted by a London court of one count of fraud related to a loss of $2.3 billion (SFr2.2 billion) on unauthorised trades, bringing to a close an eight-week trial which further damaged the reputation of Switzerland‘s…
photo: AP / Matt Dunham
£515 million designer counterfeiting ring unearthed
Chinese and American authorities have collaborated to bring down a counterfeiting operation in China that was said to be worth a huge £515 million thanks to its production of fake Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Coach handbags. BY Bibby Sowray | 20…
photo: AP / Charles Dharapak
Some US cities find small steps key to storm protection
SACO, Maine (Reuters) – In the aftermath of the historic floods caused by Superstorm Sandy, some city leaders have begun to argue for the construction of sea walls capable of shielding the U.S. coastline from ever more intense storms. But in Saco,…
photo: US DoD / DOD
Former Croat PM jailed for corruption
ZAGREB, Croatia – A court has found former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader guilty on corruption charges and has sentenced him to 10 years in prison. The 59-year-old, who served as prime minister from 2004 to 2009, is the highest ranking former…
photo: AP / MTI, Lajos Soos
France ends combat mission in Afghanistan
France ended its last combat mission in Afghanistan today, withdrawing troops from a strategic province northeast of Kabul as part of an accelerated departure from the war-torn country. Paris has said all French combat soldiers will leave next month,…
photo: USMC / Pete Thibodeau
Former UBS trader convicted of fraud
A former UBS trader has been convicted by a London court of one count of fraud related to a loss of $2.3 billion (SFr2.2 billion) on unauthorised trades, bringing to a close an eight-week trial which further damaged the reputation of Switzerland‘s…
photo: AP / Matt Dunham
£515 million designer counterfeiting ring unearthed
Chinese and American authorities have collaborated to bring down a counterfeiting operation in China that was said to be worth a huge £515 million thanks to its production of fake Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Coach handbags. BY Bibby Sowray | 20…
photo: AP / Charles Dharapak
Some US cities find small steps key to storm protection
SACO, Maine (Reuters) – In the aftermath of the historic floods caused by Superstorm Sandy, some city leaders have begun to argue for the construction of sea walls capable of shielding the U.S. coastline from ever more intense storms. But in Saco,…
photo: US DoD / DOD
Former Croat PM jailed for corruption
ZAGREB, Croatia – A court has found former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader guilty on corruption charges and has sentenced him to 10 years in prison. The 59-year-old, who served as prime minister from 2004 to 2009, is the highest ranking former…
photo: AP / MTI, Lajos Soos
France ends combat mission in Afghanistan
France ended its last combat mission in Afghanistan today, withdrawing troops from a strategic province northeast of Kabul as part of an accelerated departure from the war-torn country. Paris has said all French combat soldiers will leave next month,…
photo: USMC / Pete Thibodeau
Livestock trade thriving in war-torn Somalia
At Hargeisa‘s dusty livestock market two men quietly size each other up, haggling over animal prices by placing fingers on their chequered headscarves to indicate how much they would pay. “If I press one finger, it means 100 shillings, the whole…
photo: UN / STUART PRICE
Russia to clash with US over Arab-proposed Gaza conflict
UNITED NATIONS – The UN Security Council hit deadlock Monday on a statement on the Gaza conflict with the United States saying it opposes any action that undermines efforts to reach a ceasefire. But Russia warned that unless an Arab-proposed…
India puts off meeting with Pak minister
With the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) anticipating fireworks during the winter session of Parliament starting Tuesday, the government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has conveyed to its counterpart in Pakistan to…
photo: UN / Ryan Brown
Most active Nasdaq-traded stocks
NEW YORK – A look at Nasdaq 10 most-active stocks at 1 p.m.: Apple Inc. rose 5.9 percent to $558.97 with 18,339,500 shares traded. Cisco Systems Inc. rose 1.6 percent to $18.27 with 19,765,700 shares traded. Dell Inc. rose 1.7 percent to $9.01 with…
photo: AP / Mark Lennihan
Germany floats idea of Greek 25-cent-on-euro debt buy-back
* Buy-back would be voluntary, cut Greek debt by 11 percent of GDP * Lawyers preparing briefing for euro zone meeting * Germany, others, support cutting interest on bilateral loans * Germany, others support raising Greek primary surplus target to 5.0…
photo: EC / EC
Colombia-FARC peace negotiations to start in Havana
Negotiators for the government of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were to meet in Havana, Cuba, yesterday for talks aimed at ending Latin Americaâ??s longest-running insurgency….
photo: AP / Fernando Vergara
Harley-Davidson sales better than expected, analyst says
| A Citi analyst says that it appears Harley-Davidson Inc.‘s October sales increased more than analysts previously expteced. Gregory Badishkanian said that based on checks with Harley dealers, it looks like retail sales were up 10% in October,…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
Civilians flee Goma as UN fails to halt advance of Congolese rebel soldiers
Under threat … internally displaced Congolese sit inside a United Nations base outside Goma, seeking shelter after being forced to flee. Photo: AFP NAIROBI: Rebel soldiers are close to capturing the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of…
photo: UN / Eskinder Debebe
Israel-Gaza Conflict 2012: U.S., Britain Warn Of Israeli Ground War
The US Economic Data Has Been Weak — Is It Really All About Sandy?
Walter Kurtz Walter Kurtz writes the financial blog Sober Look. Recent Posts The Truth About Household Formation — A Key Driver To Any Housing… GOLDMAN: Here’s What Global GDP Will Look Like In 2050 What Hurricane Sandy Means For The US Economy…
photo: US DoD / DOD
Tensions flare over South China Sea at Asean summit
PHNOM PENH: Japan warned on Monday that a row over the South China Sea could directly influence “peace and stability” in Asia as the Philippines publicly disagreed with Cambodia over the contentious territorial issue at a regional summit. Wading into…
photo: US DoD / Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
Asian Markets Mostly Up On Hopes for US Fiscal Deal
Asian markets mostly rose Monday on optimism that US lawmakers will be able to agree a deal to avert a “fiscal cliff” that would tip the world’s biggest economy back into recession. The Nikkei in Tokyo enjoyed a third straight rally due to the yen’s…
photo: AP / Itsuo Inouye
GAO: Troops transitioning out not always getting prompt pain and psychiatric meds
SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — With the conflict in Afghanistan winding down and the military trimming its force, the majority of servicemembers transitioning out of the military who need pain and psychiatric medication are not getting the seamless…
photo: USMC / Pete Thibodeau
Liberals Who Celebrate GOP Distancing From Romney Are Biting Into the Poison Apple
The media is out with great excitement as Republicans lined up to repudiate Mitt Romney’s offensive “gift” comments. The Washington Post wrote, “Ten days after failing to sail into the White…
photo: AP / Steven Senne
UN Will Use Internal Review Of Activities In Sri Lanka
Monday, 19 November 2012, 2:37 pm Press Release: UN News UN Will Use Internal Review Of Activities In Sri Lanka To Do Better, Vows Senior Official New York, Nov 15 2012 3:10PM The United Nations is committed to using an internal review that found…
New York City Will Demolish At Least 200 Hurricane-Damaged Homes
Hundreds of New York City homes wrecked by Hurricane Sandy will be demolished after being deemed hazardous to the safety of the public and to nearby buildings. “About 200 homes will be bulldozed in the coming weeks and months, almost all of them one-…
photo: US Navy / Chad J. McNeeley
US has reason to make Cambodia’s summit its own
On paper it’s Cambodia‘s summit. In reality it will be Barack Obama’s summit. The United States was admitted to the East Asia Summit only last year, six years after the first summit. But Obama has no intention of easing himself into the organisation…
photo: US DoD / Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
U.S. military will maintain a considerable force in Afghanistan
Related topics AfghanistanUN Security Council Advertisement Sergey V. Lavrov, foreign minister of Russia gave a revealing interview on Russian concerns about U.S. military bases in Afghanistan. “When the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)…
photo: US Navy / Josh Ives
A new era in the U.S. relationship in this region, says Panetta
Related topics PentagonLeon PanettaASEANCambodiaAustraliaPacific Advertisement On November 16, 2012 Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta gave a speech where he reaffirmed the importance of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). “Today, we…
NATO report warning about risk of ‘insider attacks’ from Afghan forces suppressed
Tweet Washington, Nov. 18 (ANI): A damning report exposing the causes of a surge in ‘insider attacks’ by Afghan troops was suppressed by military commanders. Nato chiefs were warned last year, in a document they commissioned, that the attacks were…
photo: US Army / Jenny Lui
Insight: Facing austerity, Europe’s bureaucrats chafe
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Workers protesting austerity on the streets of southern Europe weren’t to know it, but earlier this month there was also a strike at the heart of the European Union – by bureaucrats fighting possible cuts. For an increasing…
photo: EC / EU
Big funeral for India’s nationalist politician Bal Thackeray
Mumbai: Hundreds of thousands of supporters have filled the streets of Mumbai for the funeral of Bal Thackeray, a Hindu leader linked to waves of mob violence against Muslims and migrant workers in India. Nearly 20,000 policemen were on hand…
photo: AP / Rajesh Nirgude
UN attack helicopters target rebels in eastern Congo
UN attack helicopters targeted M23 rebels in eastern Congo on Saturday after fighting resumed following a months-long lull in violence, a local official said. Two army officers and 151 rebels were killed in a battle beginning Thursday that the UN…
photo: UN / STUART PRICE
UN Security Council Condemns M23 Rebel Attacks in DR Congo
UNITED NATIONS, November 18 (RIA Novosti) – The UN Security Council has strongly condemned new attacks by the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN reported. “The members of the Security Council strongly…
KABUL — A minivan crammed with Afghan civilians on their way to a wedding party in western Afghanistan struck a roadside bomb Friday, killing 17 people, including nine women and at least one child….
photo: US Navy / Josh Ives
AMISOM commends its military operation in Somalia
   17/11/2012 Mogadishu ( Mareeg.com) â?? Col. Ali Adam Hamud, the spokesman of the African Union mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said on Saturday that the AU forces are doing good performance in central Somalia….
photo: UN / STUART PRICE
Power outage time after Sandy not extraordinary
As the number of nights without power stretched on for thousands left in the dark after Superstorm Sandy, patience understandably turned to anger and outrage. But an Associated Press analysis of outage times from other big hurricanes and tropical…
photo: US DoD / Chad J. McNeeley
Bomb Iran? No. Bomb Gaza? Yes!
By Pepe Escobar So many wars to launch, so little time. When you’re the political leader of the most militarized nation on the – as is the case with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu – you gotta find ways to play with your toys….
photo: WN / Ahmed Deeb
Panetta orders ethics training review
BANGKOK – Citing a string of ethical lapses by senior military officers, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has asked the Joint Chiefs of Staff to review ethics training and to brainstorm on ways to steer officers away from trouble. The move is a…
photo: US DoD / Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
CIA to investigate Petraeus’ conduct leading to demise
WASHINGTON — The CIA said Thursday that it had opened an “exploratory” investigation into the conduct of former director David Petraeus, who resigned after admitting to adultery, and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ordered the military services to…
photo: US Navy / U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Eduardo Zaragoza
Obama tours storm-battered New York
November 16, 2012 — Updated 0238 GMT (1038 HKT) President Barack Obama embraces a local resident on Cedar Grove Avenue during a visit to Staten Island on Thursday, November 15. See photos of the immediate aftermath of Sandy. People receive free…
photo: New York Air National Guard / Tech. Sgt. Jeremy M. Call
Australia, U.S. to hold discussion on energy, security in 2013
CANBERRA, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) — Australia and the United States will have a bilateral discussion on energy supply and security in 2013, Australian Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson said in a statement on Friday. This bilateral…
photo: US DoD / Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
BP To Pay $4.5 Billion For Deepwater Horizon Disaster
Posted: November 15, 2012 BP plead guilty to felony misconduct today for the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010. The oil company will pay $4.5 billion in penalties for the explosion that killed 11 workers and sent millions of barrels of oil into the…
US student spots his twin in 16th century Italian painting
A student from Philadelphia was left stunned when he discovered that he is the spitting image of an unknown aristocrat in a 16th…
photo: Creative Commons / David Shankbone
UN pays homage to personnel, including 2 Indians
New York, November 15: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon paid homage to 29 UN personnel, including two Indians, who died over the past year in the line of duty, noting peacekeepers and other UN staff are increasingly working in “high risk”…
photo: UN / Eskinder Debebe
UN Security Council to issue communique on Israeli military strikes on Gaza
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) — The UN Security Council is expected to issue a communique in what will be its first response to the latest Israeli military offensives against the Gaza Strip, the council presidency said late Wednesday. Hardeep…
photo: UN / Eskinder Debebe
Xi Jinping becomes China leader
Click to play video Return to video Video settings Please Log in to update your video settings Video will begin in 5 seconds. Don’t play Play now More video Recommended Click to play video Gaza missile strike raises war fears Click to play video…
photo: AP / Jacquelyn Martin
Rheem Pledges Support to the American Red Cross for Superstorm Sandy Relief Efforts
Rheem’s support will include a special financing option for homeowners impacted by the storm, a donation program with its distributor partners in the region, and an online fundraising effort. Atlanta (PRWEB) November 14, 2012 Rheem has…
photo: US DoD / DOD
Businesses must do more to help prevent use of trafficked labour â?? UN independent expert
Print 14 November 2012 Â? Businesses must help prevent and monitor the use of trafficked labour in their supply chains, a United Nations independent expert stressed today, urging enterprises to do their part to protect human rights….
photo: UN / Rick Bajornas
It is time for the judiciary to step in and avert climate catastrophe
Judicial intervention would depoliticise climate change, restore democracy and and protect citizens from human right violations…
John McAfee, Security Software Pioneer, on The Run From Police in Murder Investigation
Computer security industry pioneer John McAfee says he has gone into hiding in Belize because he believes authorities there are trying to frame him for the murder of a neighbor, a crime he says he did not…
photo: AP / Paul Sakuma
BHP sells diamond mining business
Related articles BHP ‘seeks new CE’ amid shake-up for mine chiefs Canadian diamond watchdog alleges Mugabe circle is ‘stealing diamond funds’ In this article JSE-listed companies: BHP Billiton BHP Billiton says it has agreed to sell its entire…
photo: AP / Alastair Grant
CIA v. FBI in Petraeus scandal
Click to watch video November 13th, 2012 05:39 PM ET Share this on: Facebook Twitter Digg del.icio.us reddit…
photo: AP / Steven Senne
Chinese Authorities Putting Pressure on Businesses to Help Censor the Web
BEIJING — As the Chinese cyberpolice stiffened controls on information before the Communist Party leadership transition taking place this week, some companies in Beijing and nearby cities received orders to aid the cause. China’s New…
photo: AP / Lee Jin-man
Global warming talk heats up
Climate change is suddenly a hot topic again. The issue is resurfacing in talks about a once radical idea: a possible carbon tax. On Tuesday, a conservative think tank held discussions about it while a more liberal think tank released a paper on it….
photo: USAF / Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht
‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2’ premieres in LA
Related topics Bill CondonKristen StewartRobert PattinsonTaylor Lautnerstephanie meyer Advertisement “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” had its premiere at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on November 12, 2012 in Los Angeles. “The Twilight Saga:…
photo: WN / Generic User
Manchester United debt to fall below £400m for first time since Glazer family takeover in 2005
Manchester United are expected to confirm on Wednesday that the club’s debt has fallen below £400m for the first time since the leveraged takeover by the Glazer family in May 2005. Debt falling: Manchester United will announce its figures…
photo: AP / Jon Super
Israeli aircraft strike Gaza sites
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli aircraft struck three times in Gaza in the early hours of Tuesday morning, hitting a weapons storage facility and two rocket launching sites used by militants, the military said in a statement. As a growing crisis in the…
photo: WN / Ahmed Deeb
U.S. Titan supercomputer named world’s fastest
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) — U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced Monday that Titan, a new supercomputer located at the Department‘s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been named the world’s most powerful, according to the…
photo: AP / Mead Gruver
Djokovic triumphs at Tour Finals
Novak Djokovic produced a masterful display to end Roger Federer‘s reign as ATP Tour Finals champion as the world number one swept to a 7-6 (8/6), 7-5 victory in the final on Monday in London. Djokovic underlined why he will finish as the world’s top…
photo: AP / Sang Tan
Palestinians set date for UN bid
RAMALLAH, West Bank – The official news agency of the Palestinian Authority says Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has set a date for seeking nonmember observer status at the U.N. Wafa quoted Abbas on Monday as saying the Palestinians will request…
photo: WN / Ahmed Deeb
Cuomo to seek $30 billions for Sandy recovery
New York State will seek $30 billion in new federal aid to help areas devastated by superstorm Sandy, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Monday. The aid would be in addition to any money the state gets from run existing federal programs, such as those run by…
photo: AP / Richard Drew
Deoest Odor Eliminating Underwear Surprisingly Popular With Japanese Executives
…
photo: Public Domain / –
Venice Flooding Swamps 70 Percent Of City, Tourists Swim In Streets
Posted: November 12, 2012 A series of strong winds, high tide, and torrential rain has caused the iconic city of Venice, Italy to flood, with Sunday’s tide reaching its sixth-highest level since 1872. Up to 70 percent of central Venice was…
photo: AP / Luigi Costantini
Will Haiti host Caricom summit?
EVEN prior to Haiti falling victim to the latest natural disaster with deaths and destruction from Hurricane Sandy there were concerns within Caricom that its most populous and poorest member state may once again ask to be excused as host for a…
photo: US DoD / US DoD
How Hu changed China: from hoarded cabbages to Starbucks and Jaguars, but new leaders face problems
As China’s National Party Congress prepares for a once-in-a-decade change of leadership, Kathleen McLaughlin looks at how the country has been transformed over her 10 years in Beijing. Chinese president Hu Jintao hosting a pre-congress meeting before…
photo: AP / Lee Jin-man
Sandy relief efforts highlight hopeful news week for cats
Related topics Cat NewsNew JerseyCat rescueAnimal ServicesHank the cat Advertisement This week has seen some very bright rays of hope for the world of cats. Felines affected by Hurricane Sandy are finally beginning to benefit from recovery efforts….
photo: US DoD / DOD
Sick, frail struggle most in storm’s aftermath as support networks disintegrate
NEW YORK — Some of society’s most vulnerable people — the elderly, the disabled and the chronically ill — have been pushed to the brink in the powerless, flood-ravaged neighborhoods struggling to recover from Superstorm Sandy….
photo: US DoD / US DoD
Marines celebrate 237th birthday at Pentagon
Related topics usmc birthday Advertisement As the U.S. Marine Corps celebrates its 237th birthday Nov. 10, military officials gathered at the Pentagon yesterday to enjoy a slice of both the service’s storied history and its ceremonial cake. Defense…
photo: US DoD / Glenn Fawcett
U.S. denies Russia request for convicted arms dealer Bout
(Reuters) – The United States has refused a request from Russia that convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout be returned to his home country to spend the remainder of his 25-year prison term, a Russian Foreign Ministry official said on Saturday. Bout, 54,…
photo: AP / Drug Enforcement Administration
World news brief
Harsh penalty for activist MOSCOW — A participant in a May 6 anti-Putin demonstration was sentenced Friday to four and a half years in a prison colony for fighting with riot police officers in the first adjudication of 18 similar cases that have…
photo: AP / Alexander Zemlianichenko
CIA Director Petraeus resigns in scandal, was Gmail his undoing?
CIA Director David Petraeus announced his resignation today after just under a year and a half on the job. Petraeus, also a highly-decorated Army general who came to the public spotlight during the Iraq War in 2003, cited an extramarital affair as…
photo: WN / Arturo Ubaub
Pentagon releases Benghazi timeline, defends response
Pentagon leaders knew of the Sept. 11 attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi an hour after it began, but were unable to mobilise reinforcements based in Europe in time to prevent the death of the US ambassador, according to a timeline released on…
photo: US DoD / U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley
16 inmates killed in Sri Lanka prison shootout
By BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI, Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A shootout between rioting prisoners and security forces at a prison in Sri Lanka’s capital killed at least 16 inmates, while police said Saturday that they arrested five…
photo: AP / Julia Drapkin
Some 11,000 people flee Syria in 24-hour period
As many as 11,000 people fled Syria in 24 hours, some of them desperately clambering through a razor-wire fence into Turkey on Friday to escape fierce fighting between rebels and government forces for control of a border town….
photo: AP / Mohammad Hannon
Report: China, India to Overtake U.S. Economy
Our children and grandchildren will live in a vastly different global economy China and India have ramped up investment in public education, increasing high school attendance and graduation rates. Someday, U.S. economic dominance will be a distant…
photo: AP / Charles Dharapak
Norwegian killer complains of prison conditions
OSLO, Norway (AP) — Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik, who is serving a 21-year sentence for killing 77 people in a bomb and gun rampage last year, has complained that he is being held in inhumane conditions and is being denied freedom…
photo: AP / Frank Augstein
Bradley Manning ‘offers guilty plea’ in Wikileaks case
BBC News
The alleged source of the Wikileaks revelations has offered to plead guilty to lesser offences than those with which he is charged, says his lawyer. US Army Private Bradley Manning faces a life sentence if found guilty at his Maryland court martial…
photo: AP / Patrick Semansky
Paper Edition | Page: 10 Democratic discussion: Afghan President Hamid Karzai (left) and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan confer as they prepare for a group photo during the Bali Democracy Forum in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Thursday. (AP/Dita…
photo: AP / Anja Niedringhaus
Muamba returns to White Hart Lane
London – Former Bolton Wanderers player Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a cardiac arrest and almost died playing at Tottenham Hotspur in March, made an emotional return to White Hart Lane for the first time on Thursday. Muamba, whose…
photo: AP / Jon Super
Man behind anti-Muslim film jailed for a year
Los Angeles: The man behind an anti-Muslim film that led to violence in many parts of the Middle East was sentenced to a year in federal prison for probation violations in an unrelated matter, and issued a provocative statement through his lawyer….
photo: AP / Damian Dovarganes
Man behind anti-Muslim film jailed for a year
Los Angeles: The man behind an anti-Muslim film that led to violence in many parts of the Middle East was sentenced to a year in federal prison for probation violations in an unrelated matter, and issued a provocative statement through his lawyer….
photo: AP / Damian Dovarganes
Bram Stoker books celebrated in Google doodle
Irish novelist who created the best-known vampire in literary and film history was born 165 years ago Bram Stoker books celebrated in Google doodle….
photo: Public Domain / Shooke
7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Guatemala, Killing 39
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake shook from Mexico City to San Salvador, centered off the coast of Guatemala. The shaking hit at 10:35 local time (11:35 EST), and the death toll quickly rose from 3, to 15, to 29 and now 39, president Otto Perez Miolina…
photo: AP / Moises Castillo
Ghana Shopping Mall Collaspe…Four Dead and Counting
A shopping mall has collapsed in Ghana, leaving at least three people dead, but a desperate rescue operation has so far pulled out 39 survivors….
photo: AP / Christian Thompson
Residents of New York and New Jersey who were flooded out by Superstorm Sandy are waiting with dread after hearing warnings to evacuate for the second time in two weeks as another, weaker storm spun toward them and threatened to inundate their homes…
photo: USMC / Cpl. Caleb Gomez
Nor’easter causes new power outages, slows Sandy effort
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. power companies expect the nor’easter whipping across the Mid-Atlantic on Wednesday to create additional outages and possibly slow their efforts to restore service to customers left in the dark by Hurricane Sandy nine days…
photo: USAF / Parker Gyokeres
SOMALIA: A snapshot of humanitarian challenges
MOGADISHU, 7 November 2012 (IRIN) – After two decades of civil war, Somalia is finally seeing hope for lasting peace. After the August departure of Al-Shabab insurgents, thousands of people have returned to the capital, Mogadishu, looking to rebuild…
Barack Obama Wins Reelection to Second Term
By David Espo, Associated Press WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama won re-election Tuesday night despite a fierce challenge from Republican Mitt Romney, prevailing in the face of a weak economy and high unemployment that encumbered his first term…
photo: AP / M. Spencer Green
Race for US president neck-and-neck
US President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney have capped an aggressive, deeply negative and vastly expensive campaign and are awaiting the decision of voters in an election that left Americans the choice of starkly different visions for the…
photo: AP / Tony Dejak
Champions League round-up
Manchester City fought back to draw with Ajax and retain their slim hopes of qualifying for the last 16, while Arsenal were held at Schalke after seeing their two-goal lead collapse. Click below for individual match stats and reports:…
photo: AP / Andres Kudacki
Greek unions start 3 days of anti-austerity action
ATHENS, Greece — The conservative-led Greek coalition government detailed a four-year package of austerity measures late Monday, facing down escalating protests by unions and dissent from its left-wing partners. The bill, to be voted in parliament…
photo: AP / Dimitri Messinis
Turkey to try Israeli commanders over Mavi Marmara raid
A court in Istanbul is to begin the trial in absentia of four retired Israeli military commanders over the storming of a Turkish boat in 2010. Nine Turkish activists died when Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara as a flotilla tried to break…
photo: AP / Israel Defense Force
Springsteen, Jay-Z, put the pop in Obama rally
President Barack Obama brought along two opening acts on the final day of presidential campaign. Bruce Springsteen. Jay-Z, but theirs wasn’t an introduction, it was pop culture moment. The Boss was spending the entire day with Obama, traveling on Air…
photo: AP / Carolyn Kaster
US Presidential Candidates Visit Key States on Election Eve 
U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney are making last-minute appeals to voters in key battleground states on the eve of Tuesday’s presidential election. Both President Obama and Mr. Romney campaigned in states they…
Greek unions start 3 days of anti-austerity action
ATHENS, Greece — The conservative-led Greek coalition government detailed a four-year package of austerity measures late Monday, facing down escalating protests by unions and dissent from its left-wing partners. The bill, to be voted in parliament…
photo: AP / Dimitri Messinis
Turkey to try Israeli commanders over Mavi Marmara raid
A court in Istanbul is to begin the trial in absentia of four retired Israeli military commanders over the storming of a Turkish boat in 2010. Nine Turkish activists died when Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara as a flotilla tried to break…
photo: AP / Israel Defense Force
Springsteen, Jay-Z, put the pop in Obama rally
President Barack Obama brought along two opening acts on the final day of presidential campaign. Bruce Springsteen. Jay-Z, but theirs wasn’t an introduction, it was pop culture moment. The Boss was spending the entire day with Obama, traveling on Air…
photo: AP / Carolyn Kaster
US Presidential Candidates Visit Key States on Election Eve
U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney are making last-minute appeals to voters in key battleground states on the eve of Tuesday’s presidential election. Both President Obama and Mr. Romney campaigned in states they…
photo: AP / Scott Bauer
TV report: Israel security heads nixed Iran attack
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel‘s prime minister ordered the military to go on high alert for a looming attack on Iran’s nuclear program two years ago, but backed off following strong objections from senior security officials, a respected Israeli news…
photo: US Navy / MCS1 Chad J. McNeeley
Afghanistan Massacre: Sgt Robert Bales In Court
Tweet The US soldier accused of one of the most notorious atrocities of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars has appeared in a military courtroom, where prosecutors were laying out their case against him. Prosecutors allege Staff Sergeant Robert Bales…
photo: AP / DVIDS, Spc. Ryan Hallock, File
Former FEMA official to head NYC housing recovery effort
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday named a former Federal Emergency Management Agency official to lead the city’s housing recovery effort after superstorm Sandy left tens of thousands of local residents homeless…
Mars methane mystery: Curiosity sniffing for life on the Red Planet
On Earth, we take methane for granted. It’s produced by living creatures – such as cattle’s digestive systems and bacteria munching through our refuse in landfills – and geological activity (such as volcanoes and other geothermal processes). In fact,…
photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems
Party leaders clear path for power handover in Beijing
SEVERAL hundred of the Chinese Communist Party‘s top leaders have decided on a raft of measures that pave the way for a once-in-a-decade leadership transition that starts this week. Among its decisions, the party’s Central Committee endorsed the…
photo: AP / Xinhua, Lan Hongguang
Rwandans kill DR Congo soldier
Rwanda has accused soldiers from Democratic Republic of Congo of “provocation” after a group crossed the border, leading to clashes along the volatile area. One of the Congolese soldiers was shot dead, while a Rwandan was wounded in the…
photo: AP / Stephen Wandera
S. Korea’s conservative presidential candidate willing to meet with DPRK leader
Tweet Seoul, Nov. 5 (Xinhua-ANI): South Korea‘s ruling Saenuri Party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye said Monday she is willing to meet with Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People‘s Republic of Korea (DPRK), to ease strained ties….
photo: AP / Ahn Young-joon
Northeastern Ohio county shows how crucial state could pivot between Obama, Romney
CANTON, Ohio — After years of planning, billions in TV ads, millions of air miles, countless motorcades and three game-changing debates, it still comes down to Ohio. And Ohio still remains a tossup. Whichever way it goes will likely determine the…
photo: AP / Charles Dharapak
Numerous Global Security Challenges Await Next President
PENTAGON — With much of the Middle East in turmoil, the possibility of a war over Iran’s nuclear program, and a growing al-Qaida threat in Africa, the global security challenges facing the U.S. president in the next four years are huge….
photo: AP / Pablo Martinez Monsivais
India ruling party stages pro-reforms rally
04 Nov 2012
Sonia Gandhi, India‘s ruling Congress party chief, and Manmohan Singh, prime minister, are set to speak at a major rally in New Delhi to rally support for contentious economic measures in the run-up to the 2014 parliamentary elections. Gandhi, the head of the Congress, will be seeking to drum up support for the party in a bid to win elections for…
photo: AP / Manish Swarup
Lionel Messi becomes a dad
BARCELONA superstar Lionel Messi announced this morning the birth of his first child, Thiago, although the club say he will still play on Saturday. Messi‘s partner, Antonella Roccuzzo, delivered their son at the Dexeus hospital about 700 metres from…
photo: AP / Manu Fernandez
Nigerian army kills 30 in militant bastion: Witnesses
Nigerian troops shot dead at least 30 people during raids in the northeast city of Maiduguri, bastion of the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram, witnesses and hospital staff said on Friday. Boko Haram says it wants to create an Islamic state in Nigeria…
photo: AP / George Osodi
‘Gangnam Style’ second on YouTube
Seoul: South Korean pop sensation Psy’s Gangnam Style has become the second most-watched YouTube video of all time with more than 620 million hits as the quirky rapper continues to take the world by storm. The 34-year-old singer, whose real…
photo: AP / Dita Alangkara
Numerous Global Security Challenges Await Next President
PENTAGON — With much of the Middle East in turmoil, the possibility of a war over Iran’s nuclear program, and a growing al-Qaida threat in Africa, the global security challenges facing the U.S. president in the next four years are huge….
photo: AP / Pablo Martinez Monsivais
New York Marathon Canceled In Wake Of Hurricane Sandy
The ING New York Marathon scheduled for this Sunday, where it was meant to begin in the hurricane-ravaged borough of Staten Island, has been canceled. Many were offended by the notion that the city would put resources in the form of police presence,…
photo: Creative Commons / Martineric
Magnitude-6.4 quake shakes Philippines
MANILA, Philippines – A magnitude-6.4 earthquake rattled the Philippine island of Mindanao early Saturday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the temblor, which hit at 2:17 a.m….
photo: Creative Commons / arcibald
Nigerian army kills 30 in militant bastion: Witnesses
Nigerian troops shot dead at least 30 people during raids in the northeast city of Maiduguri, bastion of the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram, witnesses and hospital staff said on Friday. Boko Haram says it wants to create an Islamic state in Nigeria…
photo: AP / George Osodi
‘Gangnam Style’ second on YouTube
Seoul: South Korean pop sensation Psy’s Gangnam Style has become the second most-watched YouTube video of all time with more than 620 million hits as the quirky rapper continues to take the world by storm. The 34-year-old singer, whose real…
photo: AP / Dita Alangkara
U.N. Rights Official Faults China on Tibetan Suppression
GENEVA — The United Nations’s top human rights official took China to task on Friday over suppression of the rights of Tibetans, which she said had driven them to “desperate forms of protest,” like self-immolation. Connect…
Food insecurity major concern after Hurricane Sandy strikes Haiti
People walk on a flooded street after hurricane Sandy hit Port Au Prince, Haiti, on Oct. 25, 2012. (Xinhua/Andres Martinez Casares) UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) — A senior UN humanitarian official said Thursday that more than a million people in…
photo: UN / Logan Abassi
2 Billion in Asia-Pacific at Risk of Malaria: Report
Asia accounts for 88 percent of all malaria cases and most of the 46,000 annual deaths occurring outside Africa, a new report shows Friday as experts demand more urgency in fighting the deadly disease. Leading scientists and health experts meeting in…
photo: US Navy / U.S. Navy photo
Drilling boom to reshape U.S. economic landscape:
HOUSTON, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) — The oil and natural gas drilling boom will reshape the United States‘ economic landscape in the next five years, according to a study released Thursday. Economic benefits from the booming drilling activity has been…
photo: AP / Lisa Poole
Barack Obama, Action Hero
By SOHRAB AHMARI Arnold Schwarzenegger. Sylvester Stallone. Bruce Willis. Judging by “SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden,” a television movie set to air on National Geographic just two days before the U.S. presidential election, producer…
photo: AP / Pablo Martinez Monsivais
Are We Really Going To Run This Race?
They are taking a risk and pushing a big shoe forward, putting more on the line this weekend than just tens of thousands of runners. The New York City Marathon will go on as scheduled Sunday, according to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and the decision has…
photo: AP / Richard Drew
Europe’s oldest prehistoric town unearthed
SOFIA, — A prehistoric town unearthed in eastern Bulgaria is the oldest urban settlement found to date in Europe, a Bulgarian archaeologist said yesterday. Vasil Nikolov, a professor from Bulgaria’s National Institute of Archaeology, said the stone…
photo: Creative Commons / Markussep
NY mayor Bloomberg endorses Obama
New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has backed President Barack Obama over Republican Mitt Romney, saying the incumbent Democrat will bring critically needed leadership to fight climate change after the devastation wrought by Superstorm Sandy. The…
India, US to hold joint military exercise at Fort Bragg in 2013
As many as 400 Indian Army soldiers would arrive at Fort Bragg ? home to airborne and special operations forces ? in the United States next year, to hold a joint annual military exercise. The fortnight long “Yudh Abhyas” from May 3 to 17…
photo: Creative Commons
Obama will win the re-election, predict Americans
WASHINGTON: With less than a week left for the November 6 presidential election, majority of Americans believe that US President Barack Obama is better poised to win the elections than his Republican challenger Mitt Romney, the Gallup poll has said….
photo: AP / Pablo Martinez Monsivais
British PM loses parliamentary vote on EU budget
LONDON, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) — British Prime Minister David Cameron suffered a major defeat in a parliamentary vote on Wednesday, after rebels in his Conservative party ganged up with the Labor opposition to demand a cut in the EU budget. The motion was…
photo: AP / Matt Dunham
Japan nuke crisis crew not told of danger
IWAKI, Japan: The operator of a Japanese nuclear plant that went into a tsunami-triggered meltdown knew the risks from highly radioactive water at the site but sent in crews without adequate protection or warnings, a worker said in a legal complaint….
photo: AP / Tokyo Electric Power Co.
Protestors push for democracy
Kuwaiti police used teargas and smoke bombs on Wednesday to disperse thousands of protesters marching on a prison where an opposition leader is being held on charges of insulting the emir, witnesses said. The unrest comes amid rising tension caused…
photo: AP / Gustavo Ferrari
New US monument honors military service dogs
LOS ANGELES — The first national monument to pay tribute to military dogs will be unveiled in California in just two months. The U.S. Working Dog Teams National Monument will honor every dog that has served in combat since World War II. Some…
photo: DOD / Public Domain
Israeli ex-leaders discussing campaign to defeat Netanyahu
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Former leaders Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni announced on Wednesday they were discussing a partnership that could shake up Israeli politics and lead to a joint campaign to defeat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a January…
German Police Arrest Casablanca Bombings Suspect
BERLIN (AP) — German police say they have arrested a 37-year-old French citizen wanted by Moroccan authorities in connection with the 2003 bombings in Casablanca that killed 45 people. A dozen suicide bombers blew themselves up May 16, 2003, in…
photo: AP / Gero Breloer
Germany, France expect to find solution for Greece in November
BERLIN, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) — The finance ministers of Germanyand Francesaid Tuesday that the two countries are determined to keep Greecein the eurozoneand strive to find comprehensive solutions in November to fill Greece‘s financing gap. “We share the…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
Sandy death toll climbs to 38; millions affected by storm’s devastation
Editor’s note: Click the “Play” button on the video player above to view live stream footage of Sandy. The death toll from megastorm Sandy climbed rapidly on Tuesday as millions of people across the Eastern Seaboard began dealing with the extensive…
photo: USAF / Mark C. Olsen
Christie: Devastation at NJ shore ‘unthinkable’
As residents began returning to storm-ravaged parts of New Jersey on Tuesday, the extent of the damage became clear, and it was more devastating than most could have imagined: Oceanfront homes were swept from their foundations in Mantaloking,…
photo: US DoD / DOD
New Iranian Surveillance Drones Likely, Expert Says
Iran‘s ability to spy on Israeli military could heighten nuke tensions This image made from video released by the Israeli Defense Forces shows the downing of a drone that entered Israeli airspace in southern Israel, Oct. 6, 2012. Claims by the…
photo: US DoD / D. Myles Cullen
UNHCR calls for access to displaced people in Myanmar’s Rakhine
GENEVA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) — The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) called Tuesday for easier access so that aid can be delivered to people displaced by renewed escalation of violence in western Myanmar. UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards said an…
photo: UN / UN
Iran begins new military exercises
TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s regular army has begun a two-day ground and air military exercise aimed at upgrading its combat readiness and increasing its deterrence against possible attacks. State TV says the drills involve forces in a wide region in…
photo: US DoD / Sara Csurilla
Ukraine Election: Leader’s Party Claims Victory more
Tweet Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich‘s party claimed victory Sunday in a parliamentary vote tainted by the jailing of the country’s top opposition leader. With former Premier Yulia Tymoshenko in jail and widespread fears of election fraud, the…
photo: AP / Sergei Chuzavkov
At least seven die in attack on Nigerian Catholic church more
A suicide bomber rammed an SUV loaded with explosives into a Catholic church holding Mass in northern Nigeria. At least seven people were killed and more than 100 others wounded in yesterday???s attack, which sparked reprisal killings in the city,…
photo: AP / Sunday Alamba
South Africa’s Zuma drops suit over rape cartoon more
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African President Jacob Zuma intends to drop a four-year-old lawsuit claiming nearly $600,000 in damages from a cartoonist who depicted him poised to rape “Lady Justice“, his office said on Sunday. The Sunday Times,…
photo: AP / Schalk van Zuydam, Pool
Tens of thousands displaced in Burma unrest more
MORE than 22,000 people from mainly Muslim communities have been displaced in western Burma, the UN said yesterday, after a fresh wave of violence and arson that has left dozens dead. Whole neighbourhoods were razed in unrest in Rakhine state this…
photo: UN / Jean-Marc Ferré
Combatting roadside bombs in Afghanistan more
Roadside bombs are responsible for almost half of the casualties among international forces in Afghanistan. Now explosives experts are using the latest technology to protect against such attacks. That technology will be shared with Afghan forces as…
photo: US DoD / Lance Cpl. Cesar Contreras
New Afghan War Phase, With No Decisive End Seen more
Kabul, Afghanistan. A new chapter of the Afghanistan war is opening with a slimmed-down Western force doing more advising than fighting, a resilient Taliban showing little interest in peace talks, and Americans tempted to pull the plug on a conflict…
photo: US Army / Brendan Mackie
Japan says four Chinese ships in disputed waters more 
TOKYO: Four Chinese maritime surveillance ships were spotted in territorial waters around disputed Tokyo-controlled islands on Sunday, Japan‘s coastguard said. The ships…
photo: Creative Commons / Si-take
7.7-magnitude quake hits Queen Charlotte Islands, Canada region: USGS more
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) — An earthquake of 7.7 magnitude jolted Queen Charlotte Islands, Canada region at 03:04:10 GMT on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said. The epicenter, with a depth of 17.5 km, was initially determined to be at…
photo: Creative Commons / Smallbones
Seven Tibetans burn themselves in anti-Beijing protests: group more
BEIJING (Reuters) – A total of seven Tibetans have set fire to themselves in the past week in protest against what they claim is heavy-handed Chinese rule in the Himalayan region, a human rights group said in a statement issued late on Saturday….
photo: WN / Yeshe Choesang
Spy who saved President Roosevelt’s life during WWII honored with monument more
Related topics RussiaSpySVRRooseveltWWII Advertisement At the quite cemetery of the capital Troekurovsky, was unveiled the opening of a monument to legendary spy of the Soviet Union, Gevork Vartanyan Andreyevich. “Gevork Vartanian was born on…
photo: Creative Commons / SimonATL
Israelis pay tribute to Rabin in memorial rally more
JERUSALEM – Thousands of Israelis are gathering at the Tel Aviv square where Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated to mark the 17th anniversary of the former prime minister’s death and remember his call for peace. Rabin was gunned down on Nov. 4, 1995 by a…
photo: AP Photo
Thousands displaced by ethnic violence in Burma more
Renewed ethnic violence between Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya in Burma’s western Rakhine state has left thousands displaced, driving them into already overcrowded camps near the state capital, the UN said on Saturday. Thousands of displaced…
photo: AP / Khin Maung Win
UAE calls for a world without n-weapons more
Quebec, October 26: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has said it will remain committed to nuclear disarmament and warned the world against security, political, economic and environmental risk of the nuclear race. Ahmed Obaid Al Mansouri, member of UAE…
Berlusconi sentenced to jail for tax fraud
26 Oct 2012
MILAN (Reuters) – An Italian court on Friday sentenced former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to four years in jail for tax fraud in connection with the purchase of broadcasting rights by his Mediaset television company. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi waves as he arrives for a debate on a package of economic reforms intended to…
Russian spaceship docks with ISS more
MOSCOW, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) — Russia‘s manned spacecraft Soyuz TMA-06M has successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS), Russia’s Mission Control Center said Thursday. The docking was completed at 16:29 Moscow time (1229 GMT),…
Illegal medications seized in 16 African countries more
The operation, called Vice Grips 2, was carried out by customs inspectors in 16 ports from July 11 to 20, it said. “It is the biggest operation of its kind,” Christophe Zimmermann, in charge of anti-counterfeit operations at the WCO, said at a press…
photo: UN / Victoria Hazou
N. Korean Army General Executed with Mortar for Drinking more
MOSCOW, October 25 (RIA Novosti) – A high-ranking North Korean Army official was reportedly executed with a mortar round for drinking liquor during the 100-day…
TOKYO – Japan‘s crippled nuclear power plant is struggling to find space to store tens of thousands of tons of highly contaminated water used to cool the broken reactors, the manager of the water treatment team said. About 200,000 tons of radioactive…
photo: AP / Tokyo Electric Power Co.
Israel and Hamas ‘negotiate unofficial truce’ in Gaza more
Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant movement controlling Gaza, are said to have reached an unofficial ceasefire after days of deadly attacks. The truce was negotiated with the help of Egypt but its exact terms and duration remain unknown, the…
Felix Baumgartner offers UN chief skydiving lesson more
MICHAEL ASTOR Associated Press= UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Supersonic skydiver Felix Baumgartner wants to teach U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon how to skydive….
Apple announces iPad mini for $329; shares fall more
Updated: October 23, 2012 8:11PM SAN JOSE, Calif. — Apple Inc.’s pencil-thin, smaller iPad will cost much more than its competitors, signaling that the company isn’t going to get into a mini-tablet price war. The company unveiled the iPad Mini on…
Qatari Emir concludes historic visit in Gaza more
GAZA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) — The Emir of Qatar Shaikh Hamad Ben Khalifa al-Thani concluded on Tuesday an official historic visit in the Gaza Strip, ruled by Islamic Hamas movement, which lasted for seven hours. The Emir and the Qatari delegation entered…
Army pushes into Bani Walid as Libya marks anniversary more
TRIPOLI/BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) – The Libyan army and allied militias have seized control of strategic buildings in the former Gaddafi stronghold of Bani Walid, a military spokesman said on Tuesday, as Libya marked the first anniversary of its…
‘Skyfall’ premiere: Daniel Craig, James Bond cast at Royal Albert Hall more
Skyfall held its world premiere this evening (Tuesday, October 23) at the Royal Albert Hall, with His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall joining 007 stars Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem and Dame Judi Dench…
UBS “rogue trader” was warned about SocGen scandal, court told more
LONDON (Reuters) – Ex-UBS trader Kweku Adoboli was warned by the Swiss bank about a “rogue trading” scandal at France‘s Societe Generale years before he was charged with fraud over losses of $2.3 billion at UBS, a London court heard on Tuesday. Along…
Romney, Obama veer back to economy in foreign-policy debate more
By Mark Z. Barabak and Michael A. Memoli Chicago Tribune Comments Boca Raton, Fla. â?? Mitt Romney charged that America‘s strength abroad has been undermined by weakness at home, while President Barack Obama argued that the nation is “stronger now…
Finnish PM in knife attack scare more
A man has confronted the Finnish prime minister with a knife at a rally, sending shockwaves through a country engaged in deep debate over austerity and about to take to the polls. The prime minister was not harmed. A man who pulled out a…
Related topics Earthquake predictionsEarthquake reportsItaly earthquake Advertisement An Italian court has convicted seven scientists of manslaughter charges on Monday for failing to adequately warn residents before an earthquake struck central Italy…
EU alarmed over DR Congo violence more
Brussels – The European Union on Monday sounded the alarm about violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, calling for an end to support for armed groups in the area. EU President Herman Van Rompuy lamented the “tragic consequences…
Michelle Bachelet: Decision-making bodies should have at least 30% women more
Michelle Bachelet, former president of Chile from 2006-10, is the first undersecretary general and executive director of UN Women. Bachelet was also Chile’s – and Latin America‘s – first female defence minister. Visiting India, Bachelet spoke with…
Afghan extremists target scouting movement more
Efforts to revive the scouting movement in Afghanistan have encountered fierce local hostility, including deadly threats, as extremists suspect the recruits are working as police or even spreading a form of Christianity. Girls and boys attending the…
EU summit: Much ado about nothing more
As usual, it turned out to be a case of “much ado about nothing”. Despite all the rhetoric, this week’s summit of the European Union (EU) has simply delayed decisions on a European banking union and tighter fiscal integration. These…
IMF changes austerity spots more
HONG KONG — As I predicted, the Tokyo annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group were almost a complete waste of time. Nevertheless, there were a few new interesting things to emerge. From Japan‘s point of view,…
Seat comes with responsibility to aid the troubled more
IT’S not often that I agree with Greg Sheridan. However, on Australia‘s successful bid for a temporary seat on the UN Security Council it is hard to disagree (“Up with Rwanda, Luxembourg but at what cost?”, 20-21/10). The UN is no…
UN: southern Africa food shortages worsen more
The United Nations deputy humanitarian chief says food shortages are “a chronic problem” in southern Africa and more than 5.5 million…
Will a temporary truce work in Syria 
The United Nations and Arab League special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is in Damascus to persuade Bashar al-Assad, Syrian president, to comply with a four-day truce. He is proposing it begin during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, on October 26th….
Investigating the natural world more
University of Washington scientists are using advanced photography to look at the world in new ways, from the slopes of Mount Rainier to the depths of the Pacific Ocean. The Burke Museum is hosting four programs featuring environmental researchers…
Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg weds Countess Stephanie de Lannoy more
Related topics Royal WeddingsLuxembourg Royal WeddingCountess Stephanie de Lannoy Advertisement Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg and Countess Stephanie de Lannoy of Belgium were married earlier today in a religious ceremony, October 19, 2012, at the…
Guatemala shooting raises concerns about military’s role more
POPTUN, Guatemala — This nation’s military, once one of the most brutal and feared in Central America, is resurging to take on violent crime, forging closer ties with U.S. troops and law enforcement even as worry over human rights abuses and…
U.S. terror attack was averted — this time more
This is the way it’s supposed to work. The would-be terrorist is discovered early in his plotting. His schemes are recorded every step of the way. His bomb’s a phony. His cohorts are on the payroll. Evil as his motives appear to be, the public is…
Israeli naval vessels take control of pro-Palestinian boat seeking passage to Gaza more
JERUSALEM – Israeli soldiers commandeered a vessel carrying pro-Palestinian activists destined for Gaza on Saturday, cutting off communications and steering it from international waters toward the Jewish state. The ship was the latest in a series of…
Cyberspace is battlefront of the future: US defense secy more
WASHINGTON: Cyberspace is the battlefield of the future, with attackers already going after banks and other financial institutions and developing the ability to strike US power grids and government systems, defense secretary Leon Panetta said on…
Gallup study: 3.4% of U.S. adults identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender more
NEW YORK — A new Gallup survey, touted as the largest of its kind, estimates that 3.4 percent of American adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The findings, released Thursday, were based on interviews with more than 121,000…
43 Killed By Airstrikes in Northern Syria, Activists Say more
Syrian activists and medical officials say a series of government air strikes on rebel areas in the country’s north has killed at least 43 people, including many children. The activists said the strikes happened late Wednesday and early Thursday…
Rwanda gets Security Council seat amid Congo probe more
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Rwanda was among five nations elected to the U.N. Security Council on Thursday, amid an ongoing investigation by a U.N. panel of its role in neighboring Congo‘s rebellion. The election of Rwanda was likely to renew questions…
5 Countries Elected to UN Security Council more
UNITED NATIONS — Five countries have won two-year terms on the 15-member U.N. Security Council, including one potentially controversial country – Rwanda. Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, Rwanda and South Korea won non-permanent seats in the…
Google Blames R.R. Donnelly For Earnings Leak more
“Earlier this morning RR Donnelley, the financial printer, informed us that they had filed our draft 8K earnings statement without authorization,” explained Google, in an email to TheStreet. “We have ceased trading on NASDAQ while we work to finalize…
Mali Islamists bulldoze more tombs in Timbuktu more
BAMAKO (Reuters) – Heavily armed Islamists bulldozed the tombs of three local Sufi saints near Mali‘s desert city of Timbuktu on Thursday, residents said, the latest in a series of attacks in the rebel-held north that critics say threaten its…
October 18. 2012
Sylvia Kristel, star of Emmanuelle, dies more
Dutch actress Sylvia Kristel, who starred in the 1974 erotic French film Emmanuelle, has died aged 60. “She died during the night during her sleep,” her agent Marieke Verharen told the AFP news agency. The…
Feds: 1 arrested in plot to attack Federal Reserve more
NEW YORK â?? Federal authorities on Wednesday arrested a man they said was plotting to blow up the Federal Reserve building in Manhattan, just blocks from the World Trade Center site. Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, 21, was arrested in a sting…
IBM, Intel, eBay: Tech Winners & Losers more
For the fourth-quarter, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based firm expects revenue of $13.6 billion, plus or minus $500 million. Non-GAAP gross margins are expected to be between 57% and 58%, plus or minus a couple of percentage points. That’s slightly below…
UN and International Criminal Court have joint roles in ending impunity, Ban says more
Print 17 October 2012 – The United Nations Security Council has a vital role to play in assisting the International Criminal Court (ICC) to ensure that war crimes and crimes against humanity around the world do not go unpunished,…
U.S. negotiating with Afghanistan to extend troop presence beyond 2014 deadline in country more
Tweet Washington, Oct. 17 (ANI): The United States troops, who were scheduled to leave Afghanistan by 2014, would now be extending their stay in the war-torn country, and negotiations over the extension would be beginning soon, a top State Department…
UN warns of increasing risks of foreign jihadists radicalizing Syrian conflict more
Tweet London, Oct. 17 (ANI): A UN commission on human rights abuses in Syria has warned of the increasing risk of foreign Islamist militants radicalizing the conflict….
October 17, 2012
Hunger soars in the Philippines more
There has been a staggering increase in the number of undernourished Filipinos over the past two years, according to a new study. “The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012,” a global assessment of nutrition levels released on Tuesday, revealed…
photo: WN / Sweet Radoc
Exoplanet around Alpha Centauri is nearest-ever more
Astronomers have found the nearest planet outside our Solar System, circling one of the stars of Alpha Centauri just four light-years away. The planet has at minimum the same mass as Earth, but circles its star far closer than Mercury orbits our Sun….
photo: Creative Commons
UN accuses Rwanda of leading DR Congo rebels more
Rwanda‘s defence minister is commanding a rebellion in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that is being armed by Rwanda and Uganda, both of which sent troops to aid the insurgency in a deadly attack on UN peacekeepers, according to a UN report. The…
photo: UN / Sylvain Liechti
Obama, Romney Spar in Crackling Debate more
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) — An aggressive President Barack Obama accused challenger Mitt Romney of peddling a “sketchy deal” to fix the U.S. economy and playing politics with the deadly terrorist attack in Libya in a Tuesday night debate crackling with…
photo: AP / Mary Altaffer
Afghan malnourished hit by poverty and education more
October 17, 2012 — Updated 0045 GMT (0845 HKT) Rahman Mina Camp, Afghanistan (CNN) — A 30-minute drive from the heart of the Afghan capital along dusty pot-holed roads lie the slums of the city. In the distance are plains with some patches of…
photo: UN / Eric Kanalstein
US outraged as UK denies hacker extradition more
THERESA May, the British Home Secretary, risked diplomatic tensions with the US yesterday when she invoked human rights to halt the extradition of the computer hacker Gary McKinnon. Mrs May delighted Tory backbenchers with Britain’s first refusal to…
photo: AP / Kirsty Wigglesworth
Congo: Rwanda and Uganda Arm Congo Rebels, U.N. Report Says more
Rwanda’s defense minister is commanding a rebellion in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that is being armed by Rwanda and Uganda, who also sent troops to aid the insurgents in a deadly attack on United Nations peacekeepers,
NATO’s role in the European Union’s success more
James Goldgeier, the dean here at American University‘s School of International Service, makes the case that NATO gets a lot of credit for the EU’s success. He sees the Balkans as important recent evidence that the alliance has had as much…
photo: US DoD / Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
EU Affirms Confidence In Ghana’s Electoral System more
Mr Claude Maerten, Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Ghana, on Tuesday said the Union would not monitor the December 2012 general elections. The Union has observed that Ghana has developed internal structures and has the capacity to…
photo: EC / EC
Afghans deny killer of 2 US troops was intel agent more
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s security service on Tuesday denied claims that a suicide bomber who killed two American troops and four Afghans in a weekend attack was a member of the country’s intelligence agency….
photo: US DoD / Lance Cpl. Cesar Contreras
Devotees converge at temples as nine-day long Navratri Festival begins in India more
Tweet New Delhi/Faizabad/Ramgarh, Oct. 16 (ANI): Devout Hindus queued up at various temples across India to mark the beginning of the nine-day long festival of Navratri, which is held in honour of the Goddess Durga….
photo: WN / Bhaskar Mallick
Mystery of Giant Eyeball Found on US Beach Solved more
October 16, (RIA Novosti) – The mystery behind the softball-sized eyeball discovered by a man walking along a beach in the US state of Florida last week has been solved by researchers, who believe the giant orb belonged to a swordfish. “Experts on…
photo: Creative Commons / Trekphiler
SOMALIA: Food insecurity still a problem more
MOGADISHU, 16 October 2012 (IRIN) – Rising food costs, poor â??Guâ?? seasonal rains earlier in the year and continuing insecurity in parts of southern Somalia are affecting the nutritional status of vulnerable people there – a situation that could…
photo: UN / Rick Bajornas
As Syrians continue to flee, UN urges European Union to uphold asylum principles more
Print 16 October 2012 – The United Nations today urged European Union (EU) member States to adhere to their asylum principles as the number of Syrians seeking refuge in these countries has started to grow. “These include ensuring access to…
October 16, 2012
UCI criticised over Armstrong donation more
The International Cycling Union said it received a donation from Lance Armstrong, pictured, but strongly denied it was linked to a cover up The International Cycling Union (UCI) has been criticised for accepting a cash donation from disgraced Tour de…
photo: AP / Laurent Rebours
Clinton: I’m responsible for diplomats’ security more
October 16, 2012 — Updated 0311 GMT (1111 HKT) Lima, Peru (CNN) — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday tried to douse a political firestorm over the deadly assault on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya, saying she’s responsible for the…
photo: AP / Saul Loeb
9/11 Guantanamo hearings resumes after five months more
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others accused over the 9/11 attacks have appeared at a US military tribunal for the first time in five months. The week-long pre-trial hearing at Guantanamo Bay will largely focus on issues of secrecy. Khalid Sheikh…
photo: US Navy / MCS2 Elisha Dawkins
Yahoo Poaches Google’s Henrique de Castro as COO more
Print this page Tweet View the discussion thread. Ross Levinsohn Leaves Yahoo After Marissa Mayer CEO Hire Jul 30, 2012 Yahoo Names Google Executive Marissa Mayer CEO Jul 17, 2012 Yahoo Names Ken Goldman New CFO Sep 25, 2012…
photo: AP / Virginia Mayo
Peace envoy appeals for Iran to broker ceasefire during Eid more
A peace envoy for the United Nations and Arab League asked Iran yesterday to help broker a ceasefire in the Syrian conflict during the Muslim holiday of Eid ul-Adha. Lakhdar Brahimi made the…
photo: AP / Hadi Mizban
Wall Street rallies on Citigroup’s earnings, retail sales more
NEW YORK: US stocks climbed on Monday, rebounding from last week’s losses after Citigroup‘s earnings and retail sales sharply exceeded expectations. Citigroup Inc shares shot up 5.5 per cent to $36.66 and gave the biggest lift to the S&P 500 a fter…
photo: AP / Mark Lennihan
Guantanamo Court Chaos Replaced by Order more
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other defendants charged in the 9/11 terror attacks were back before a military judge in Guantanamo today, and the proceedings bore little resemblance to their last, chaotic appearance in the courtroom on May 5….
photo: AP / Brennan Linsley
October 15, 2012
9/11 mastermind back at Guantanamo court more
AFP – The self-proclaimed mastermind of the September 11 attacks and his four co-defendants are due back in Guantanamo court Monday for hearings to pave the way to their trial. It will mark the second appearance for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the…
photo: US Army / Staff Sgt. Jim Wagner
Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner smashes sound barrier more
Zeenews Bureau Roswell: Diving at a speed faster than the sound, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner has become the first man in history to make the highest jump ever – from a whopping altitude of 128,000 feet. ‘Fearless Felix’, as he is known, is…
photo: AP / Ross D. Franklin
Cambodia’s former King Norodom Sihanouk dies at 89 more
In this Sept. 2, 2006 file photo, Cambodia‘s retired King Norodom Sihanouk greets well-wishers before departing for China from Phnom Penh International Airport, in Cambodia. Sihanouk, the former Cambodian king who was never far from the center of his…
photo: AP / Heng Sinith
Skydiver Breaks Record for Highest Jump more
Austrian Felix Baumgartner has become the first skydiver to break the speed of sound. Brian Utley of the International Federation of Sports Aviation said Baumgartner reached a maximum…
photo: AP / Ross D. Franklin
Sebastian Vettel takes Formula One title lead with S. Korea win more
It’s down to Vettel versus Alonso, Red Bull versus Ferrari. Sebastian Vettel took a big step toward his third consecutive Formula One world championship Sunday with the Red Bull driver’s third consecutive win, at the Korean Grand Prix on the Yeongam…
photo: AP / Dita Alangkara
Five killed in Gaza assassinations more
JERUSALEM: In a deadly cycle of targeted assassinations and retaliatory rocket fire, five Palestinians were killed and more were injured in Gaza over the weekend, while militants…
photo: WN / Ahmed Deeb
A mix to make debt sustainable more
The political decision to keep Greece in the eurozone for at least another year may have been made, but its creditors are doing their best to undermine it by increasing event risk and further hurting the private sector and the economy in general. In…
photo: WN / marzena
October 14, 2012
UN warns of looming worldwide food crisis in 2013 more
• Global grain reserves hit critically low levels • Extreme weather means climate ‘is no longer reliable’ • Rising food prices threaten disaster and unrest A Zimbabwean peasant farmer in a crop of maize destroyed by drought. One expert warns: ‘The…
photo: UN / Jean-Marc Ferré
On Internet rules, India now more willing to say ICANN more
India has reinvented its position on Internet governance, hoping to become a new voice of reason in what has so far been a deeply polarised global debate. The change, effected after detailed inter-ministerial as well as multi-stakeholder…
photo: UN / JC McIlwaine
Some JBLM soldiers to stay home as reserves amid Afghan mission more
TACOMA, Wash. — The next Joint Base Lewis-McChord Stryker brigade to fight in Afghanistan plans to leave 1,000 of its soldiers at home as a “readiness reserve” in case its mission advising Afghan partners changes during its…
photo: Christopher Marasky / Public Domain
Fighting flares up in Balli Doogle Airbase outside Mogadishu, 4 killed more
13/10/2012 BALLI-DOGLE (Mareeg.com) —At least four people are known to have been killed and dozens injured on Saturday in a heavy battle between Somali government soldiers and the Al Qaeda-affiliated Al shabab…
photo: UN / STUART PRICE
Celebration of International Day of Girl Child held to create awareness about girl child issues more
MUMBAI: Last year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child , establishing a day to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. In…
photo: UN / Paulo Filgueiras
Eastleigh bombings, terror dynamics and Kenya’s Somali intervention more
Kenya‘s Somali intervention in its quest to crush the terrorist group al-Shabaab is producing a potentially devastating dynamic for ethnic harmony in Kenya. For two weeks now, I documented an average of two to three daily articles in Kenyan papers…
photo: UN / STUART PRICE
Somali Police arrest dozens in Baidoa crackdown more
13/10/2012 BAIDOA (Mareeg.com)—Somali Police in the strategic Baidoa city on Friday morning, arresting untold number of people on suspicion of being militants after conducting a security operation…
Biden faces off against challenger
12 Oct 2012
LATEST: Vice President Joe Biden and the man who wants his job, Republican Paul Ryan, clashed over policy in Libya in the opening minutes of the vice presidential debate. Moderater Martha Raddatz, who is senior foreign affairs correspondent for ABC News, opened the debate Thursday night by asking if the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in…
photo: AP / Pool-Michael Reynolds
Posted: October 11, 2012 BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged on Thursday sending a drone aircraft that was shot down last weekend after flying some 25 miles into Israel. Nasrallah said in a…
photo: AP / Ariel Schalit
Brussels: The European Commission plans to sanction EU members to nudge them into action on efforts to create a pan-European airspace that would cut costs and delays, an EU source said on Thursday. Members of the 27-nation European Union have been…
photo: European Community / EC
By Jim Lobe WASHINGTON – When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly last month that Iran’s nuclear program was unlikely to breach his “red line” for presumed military action until next spring or summer, many observers…
photo: UN / Eskinder Debebe
BRASILIA — Brazil’s supreme court convicted three top aides of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday on charges of diverting public funds to buy political support for his leftist government when it came to power a decade ago. In a…
photo: ABr / Roosewelt Pinheiro
Concept lauded at United Nations meeting in NY PHOENIX, Oct 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The United Nations recently praised progress toward decreasing malnutrition worldwide among children in their first 1,000 days of life—a critical…
photo: WN / Geeta
This week, the U.S. war against the people of Afghanistan entered its twelfth year. It’s the longest war in our history, but you’d hardly know we’ve been at war, or that we continue to kill Afghan civilians. But on top of this, few Americans realize…
photo: Christopher Marasky / Public Domain
Related topics AfghanistanLeon PanettaAfghan Army Advertisement Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta spoke today at a defense meeting in Brussels about the state of the Afghan Security forces. What he said may surprise some people. “The number of Afghan…
photo: US DoD / Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
USADA: Lance Armstrong Was Part Of The Most Sophisticated And Successful Doping Program Cycling Has Ever Seen more
The United States Anti-Doping Agency will release a file Wednesday providing the most comprehensive evidence in proving Lance Armstrong‘s alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. The information will also be sent to the Union Cycliste…
Top Stories Worldwide
10.10.2012
ATHENS (Reuters) – As Greece‘s privatization program this month, nearly half a year behind schedule, at stake is not just the billions of euros it needs to raise, but the credibility of its commitment to reforms demanded by its creditors. Greek…
photo: WN / marzena
Toyota recalls 7.43 million vehicles globally 7 minutes ago NATO to discuss Afghan war, reveal new commanders 12 minutes ago Indonesia warns of threat before Bali anniversary…
photo: US DoD / Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
Paper Edition | Page: 7 At the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) called on world leaders to “enact an international instrument to effectively prevent incitement to hostility or violence…
photo: UN / Paulo Filgueiras
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Wednesday: Connect With Us on Twitter Follow @NYTNational for breaking news and headlines. Twitter List: Reporters and Editors 1. SANDUSKY’S RAMBLING…
photo: AP / Petr David Josek
UNITED NATIONS — France has circulated a draft U.N. resolution backing an international military force to assist Mali’s army in ousting Islamic militants who seized the northern half of the country and are turning it into a terrorist hub….
photo: UN / Evan Schneider
Wednesday, 10 October 2012, 12:16 pm Press Release: United Nations Afghanistan on Track to Building Post-2014 Future, Says UN Envoy New York, Oct 9 2012 3:10PM Despite the impending drawdown of international forces and chronic challenges in…
photo: DOD / Public Domain
Print Email 9 October 2012 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed a new global initiative launched by the French Government to curb the use of the death penalty around the world. In a video message for the French Foreign Ministry’s…
photo: UN / Evan Schneider
THE HAGUE (Reuters) – Libya can guarantee the son of its former dictator a fair trial, Libyan government lawyers said on Tuesday at a hearing on whether Saif al-Islam Gaddafi should face justice at home or at the International Criminal Court (ICC)….
photo: AP / Libyan Youth Movement
Bernardo Bertolucci, director of Last Tango in Paris and The Last Emperor, is to receive a lifetime achievement prize at the 2012 European Film Awards. The 72-year-old will be recognised for his…
photo: AP / Alvaro Barrientos
NEW YORK, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) — Moody’s Investors Service Monday gave the newly-launched European bailout fund, European Stability Mechanism (ESM), a rating of Aaa but with a negative outlook. The ESM with a capacity of…
photo: AP / Michel Euler
For supporters of same-sex marriage—and for opponents, too—this Election Day is a pivotal one, an opportunity for voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington to make history and do something that voters across America have never done before. My Tuesday…
photo: AP / Mary Altaffer
U.S. companies considering doing business with Chinese telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE are being warned to find another vendor. A U.S. House of Representatives report said the companies pose a long-term corporate and national security…
photo: Public Domain / The White House
“El Comandante” won 54.4 per cent of the 13.6 million votes cast compared to 45 per cent for challenger Henrique Capriles, it was declared late on Sunday. Turnout was high at 81 per cent. Speaking to crowds of cheering supporters from the…
photo: AP / Rodrigo Abd