Thousands of Syrians have poured into streets across the country with renewed calls for the president’s resignation, as the government widens its crackdown on dissent. Witnesses and activists say anti-government rallies got underway on Friday in cities including Homs, Daraa, and Latakia as well as near the capital, Damascus. There are scattered reports of security […]
Anti-Government Protesters Mass in Syria Despite Crackdown
Posted June 17th, 2011 at 9:40 am (UTC-5)
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Man in Custody in Investigation at Pentagon
Posted June 17th, 2011 at 9:25 am (UTC-5)
U.S. authorities have taken a man into custody in connection with an investigation into a suspicious vehicle near the U.S. Defense Department headquarters. A police official told reporters Friday that the man was discovered overnight in Arlington National Cemetery, just outside Washington. After finding the man, the official said park police thought it appropriate to […]
Japan Begins Cleaning Radioactive Water at Damaged Nuclear Plant
Posted June 17th, 2011 at 9:25 am (UTC-5)
The operator of Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant on Friday began a process to decontaminate more than 110,000 tons of radioactive water. The water was used to cool the plant’s reactors after a nuclear meltdown caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March. It has been held in reservoirs at the plant, but […]
IMF: World Economic Outlook ‘Not Reassuring’
Posted June 17th, 2011 at 9:20 am (UTC-5)
The International Monetary Fund says recent trends in the world’s major economies are “not reassuring,” and it warns there is a growing chance the global economy could stumble. The IMF’s World Economic Outlook, released Friday, says the global economy expanded at a rate of 4.3 percent for the first three months of the year. But […]
Dueling Rallies Underway in Yemen
Posted June 17th, 2011 at 9:15 am (UTC-5)
Yemenis are taking to the streets across the country, with demonstrators renewing calls for President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s removal from office and others voicing support for the embattled leader. Thousands of anti-government protesters massed after midday prayers on Friday. Some chanted and waved the Yemeni flag. Meanwhile, Yemen’s state-run television says loyalists have gathered in […]
Britain Bans UPS From Certain Sites
Posted June 17th, 2011 at 9:05 am (UTC-5)
Britain has banned the cargo shipping company UPS from using some of its facilities out of security concerns. The Department for Transport said in a statement Friday it had “restricted” the number of sites where UPS could screen its air cargo until it satisfies current security requirements. It did not supply details on the sites. […]
Tamil Lawmakers Claim Sri Lankan Police Abuse
Posted June 17th, 2011 at 8:40 am (UTC-5)
Sri Lanka’s main minority Tamil political party is accusing army soldiers of attacking its lawmakers during a meeting in the country’s former war zone. The Tamil National Alliance claimed that troops, armed with sticks, beat people at a party meeting Thursday night, including police bodyguards there to protect the lawmakers. The alleged incident took place […]
Vietnam, US Begin Agent Orange Cleanup
Posted June 17th, 2011 at 8:20 am (UTC-5)
Vietnam and the United States kicked off a joint effort Friday to clean up sites contaminated by Agent Orange, a dangerous chemical defoliant used during the two countries’ war which ended in 1975. The U.S.-funded operation aims to remove all unexploded ordnance around a former American air base at Danang. U.S. officials say once the […]
UN Passes Gay Rights Resolution
Posted June 17th, 2011 at 8:05 am (UTC-5)
The United Nations Human Rights Council has passed a historic resolution, seeking equal rights for all regardless of sexual orientation. The resolution, drafted by South Africa, passed Friday with 23 nations voting in favor, 19 voting against and 3 abstentions. . There was strong opposition from some African and Arab nations. The United States, the […]
NATO Pounds Tripoli in Daytime Raids
Posted June 17th, 2011 at 8:00 am (UTC-5)
NATO warplanes shook the Libyan capital Tripoli on Friday with more bombing runs, targeting several parts of the city. It was not immediately clear what was hit or whether there were casualties. Sirens of rescue vehicles blared through the streets. NATO has most often struck under the cover of darkness, but daytime assaults have become […]
