Sudanese police clashed with farmers in the country’s agricultural heartland on Wednesday. Witnesses said police used batons to break up a group of about 400 farmers in Gezira state. The protesters gathered at the headquarters of the Gezira Scheme, a vast state-run farming project south of Khartoum and between the Blue and White Nile rivers. […]
NATO Extends Its Libya Mission
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:45 pm (UTC-5)
NATO says it is extending its military mission in Libya for 90 days, as Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi refuses to step down despite a popular uprising, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen made the announcement Wednesday. He said the move is meant to send a clear message to the Gadhafi government that the pressure to oust […]
Economic Concerns Send US Stocks Sliding
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:45 pm (UTC-5)
Concerns about job creation and a slowing U.S. economic recovery pushed the major stock indexes lower in Wednesday’s midday trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid almost 1.5 percent. The S&P 500 index fell 1.4 percent. And the NASDAQ dropped almost 1.3 percent. European stock prices also fell, closing lower. London’s Financial Times index dipped […]
Toyota to Boost Production; Issues New Recalls
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:40 pm (UTC-5)
The world’s biggest automaker says it is boosting production in Japan as it recovers from the March earthquake and tsunami that devastated part of the country. Japanese car maker Toyota announced Wednesday domestic production will return to 90 percent of pre-disaster levels this month. Company executives credited the quicker than anticipated recovery on the ability […]
Gates Says Afghan Warnings Reflect “Pain” of War
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:40 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says warnings about civilian casualties from Afghan President Hamid Karzai reflect the “pain and suffering” the Afghan people have endured after 30 years of war. Gates told reporters late Tuesday that it is important for both sides to jointly investigate civilian casualties and that Mr. Karzai and the Afghan people […]
Somali Pirate Sentenced to 15 Years in South Korea
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:35 pm (UTC-5)
A South Korean court has sentenced a Somali pirate to 15 years in prison for his involvement in the hijacking of a South Korean ship. Abdulahi Husseen Maxamuud was convicted Wednesday of maritime robbery and other charges connected to the hijacking of the chemical carrier Samho Jewelry in the Arabian Sea. Maxamuud on Wednesday apologized […]
Sri Lankan Police Chief Resigns After Protest Crackdown
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:20 pm (UTC-5)
Sri Lanka’s police chief has quit after taking responsibility for a violent crackdown on a labor protest that left one demonstrator dead and 200 injured. The defense ministry announced police chief Mahinda Balasuriya’s resignation Wednesday saying his decision to step down was due to “displeasure” with the way police conducted themselves. Earlier in the day, […]
IAEA: Japan Underestimated Tsunami Threat
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:15 pm (UTC-5)
International experts say Japan underestimated the threat posed by tsunamis to its nuclear power plants, but praised Tokyo’s overall response to the massive earthquake and tidal waves that devastated the country’s coastal northeast nearly three months ago. The preliminary critique from the International Atomic Energy Agency was issued Wednesday by a team of 18 experts. […]
Belarus Asks IMF for Rescue Loan of Up to $8 Bn
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:05 pm (UTC-5)
Belarus is requesting a new economic rescue loan from the International Monetary Fund to help it cope with a deepening financial crisis. Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich said Wednesday the government has asked for an IMF loan between $3.5 billion and $8 billion for the next three to five years. Belarus last received an IMF […]
Web Security Summit: Cyberattacks as Great a Threat as Military
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 11:55 am (UTC-5)
The chairman of one of the world’s leading telecommunications companies says cyberwarfare could be as dangerous as a military attack. Speaking at the Worldwide Cybersecurity Summit in London Wednesday, BT Group Chairman Michael Rake told government officials and business leaders from around the world that cyberattacks could “bring a nation to its knees” without any […]
