A senior Malaysian official says the government will offer amnesty to some of the country’s estimated two million illegal immigrants in an effort to reduce the illegal workforce and curb exploitation by traffickers. Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Monday that the government would launch a program to grant illegal workers permits to stay in the […]
Malaysia to Offer Amnesty to Illegal Workers
Police in Mexico Seize Armored Drug Trucks
Authorities in Mexico have seized two homemade armored freight trucks believed to be altered for local drug cartels during a raid and shootout in a warehouse in the northern state of Tamaulipas. Two suspected drug traffickers were killed during the raid in the town of Camargo. Authorities say the tanks – dubbed “monster trucks” by […]
Post-disaster Reconstruction Could Cost Japan Up to $225 Billion
A top Japanese research institute says reconstruction efforts in Japan could cost the government between $175 billion and $225 billion during the next decade. The Japan Research Institute said Monday the damages following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami would cost Japan more than $110 billion this year alone. The private institute says the government […]
German Chancellor Beginning Official Visit to US
U.S. President Barack Obama formally welcomes German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House Tuesday for an official visit that will include both pomp and politics. Ms. Merkel’s one-day visit will start with a 19-gun salute on the White House South Lawn and end with an elaborate black-tie dinner. She is scheduled to attend a […]
Greek PM Willing to Hold Referendum on Spending Cuts
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou says he is willing to put the question of more spending cuts and other austerity measures before the voters. Mr. Papandreou told his Cabinet Monday that he is seeking the widest possible consensus for his plans and is open to holding a referendum. As of now, the prime minister is […]
Congressman Admits Lying About Lewd Photograph
New York Democratic Representative Anthony Weiner has admitted he sent a lewd photograph to a female college student using his Twitter account after previously denying he had done so. Weiner apologized for lying but said he will not resign. During a televised news conference Monday in New York, an emotional Weiner also admitted that he […]
North Korea to Create New Economic Zone
North Korea says it will set up an economic zone on two islands on the border with China. The North Korean official news agency KCNA made the announcement Monday, a few days after the country’s leader Kim Jong Il returned from a trip to China to study its economic development. The news agency says the […]
Egyptians Honor Activist Whose Death Sparked Revolution
Hundreds of Egyptians have taken to the streets to honor activist Khaled Said, beaten to death in the northern city of Alexandria one year ago in a savage attack blamed on police. The incident helped inspire the uprising that brought down Egypt’s president. Pictures of the 28-year-old’s badly disfigured and bloodied face quickly spread over […]
US Official to Press Japan and South Korea on Iranian Sanctions
A senior official from the U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday begins a mission to Japan and South Korea to press for implementation of international sanctions against Iran. According to a Treasury Department statement, Undersecretary David Cohen will consult with officials in the two countries on steps to increase pressure on what were described as “those […]
Suspected US Drone Strikes Kill 18 in Pakistan
Pakistani authorities said Monday three U.S. drone strikes killed at least 18 militants in Pakistan’s northwest tribal region, including several Arab nationals and suspected militant leaders. The authorities said all the strikes took place in South Waziristan and hit a compound, an Islamic seminary and a vehicle near the region’s main town of Wana. The […]