Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has appealed to parliament to support deeply unpopular austerity measures demanded by international lenders, as Greece seeks emergency loans to avoid defaulting on its debt. Mr. Papandreou told lawmakers Sunday Greece is at a “critical” junction, facing bankruptcy next month unless it secures the next installment of a bailout offered […]
Greek PM Appeals to Parliament to Support Unpopular Austerity Measures
Posted June 19th, 2011 at 2:35 pm (UTC-5)
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Syrian Troops Ransack Northern Border Village
Posted June 19th, 2011 at 2:25 pm (UTC-5)
Syrian troops have reportedly ransacked a border village that had provided help to thousands of people fleeing a military crackdown on anti-government dissent. Refugees and activists say that soldiers in the village of Bdama set fire to crops and buildings and shut down the village’s only bakery. They say troops were setting up checkpoints to […]
Gates Backs Obama on Libya Involvement
Posted June 19th, 2011 at 2:15 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has defended the legality of U.S. military engagement in Libya, as the 90-day deadline for congressional approval expires. Gates said in a television interview Sunday that he supports President Barack Obama’s assertion that the U.S. is playing a support role in the NATO operation in Libya, rather than directly engaging […]
Iranian Defense Minister Meets Afghan President in Kabul
Posted June 19th, 2011 at 2:15 pm (UTC-5)
Iran’s defense minister met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul on Sunday, the last day of a landmark two-day visit to Afghanistan aimed at bolstering bilateral ties between the two countries. Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said the presence of foreign forces in the country is the main cause of rising unrest in Afghanistan. On […]
Vietnamese Protesters Rally Against China for 3rd Sunday
Posted June 19th, 2011 at 1:55 pm (UTC-5)
Vietnamese demonstrators have rallied in Hanoi for a third straight Sunday to protest Chinese maritime practices, in an escalating regional dispute over potentially energy-rich islets in the South China Sea. The protesters gathered at the Chinese embassy and marched through nearby streets demanding that Beijing stay out of what Hanoi insists is Vietnamese territory. The […]
Springsteen Sax Star Clarence Clemons Dies
Posted June 19th, 2011 at 1:45 pm (UTC-5)
Clarence Clemons, the burly star saxophonist of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street band, died Saturday, six days after suffering a stroke following surgery. Clemons was 69. His bandleader, Springsteen, said on his website Clemons’ loss is “immeasurable.” Springsteen said “we are honored and thankful to have know him and had the opportunity to stand beside him […]
Fire Warning Declared for Much of US Southwest
Posted June 19th, 2011 at 1:40 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. weather experts have put much of the nation’s southwest under “red flag” fire warnings, meaning that weather conditions in at least seven states are ideal for the start or spread of wildfires. The National Weather Service said Sunday that high heat, low humidity and strong winds will make the battle to control existing wildfires […]
Tens of Thousands in Spain March to Protest Economic Crisis
Posted June 19th, 2011 at 1:40 pm (UTC-5)
Tens of thousands of Spaniards have marched in Madrid to protest high unemployment and the government’s handling of an economic crisis. Police say about 40,000 people converged on the Spanish capital’s Neptune plaza near parliament from six locations around the city Sunday. The protesters call themselves “indignant” about Spain’s nearly two-year-long recession. They included the […]
Sudanese Talks on Abyei Hit 11th-Hour Snag
Posted June 19th, 2011 at 1:25 pm (UTC-5)
North-South Sudanese talks on the status of the disputed Abyei region have hit a last-minute snag, just as a deal was to be signed to de-militarize the area. Northern and southern leaders are trying to settle outstanding issues ahead of Sudan’s scheduled July 9 split. But the talks ground to a halt late Saturday, and […]
Soviet-Era Human Rights Activist Yelena Bonner Dies in US
Posted June 19th, 2011 at 1:10 pm (UTC-5)
Veteran Soviet-era rights activist Yelena Bonner, the widow of Nobel Peace laureate Andrei Sakharov, has died in the United States at the age of 88. Bonner died of heart problems Saturday in Boston, where she had lived in recent years with her son and daughter as her health deteriorated. She had previously suffered two heart […]
