Two French journalists who were kidnapped in Afghanistan by Taliban insurgents and held for 18 months have returned to France after being freed by their captors. The two reporters for France-3 television, Stephane Taponier and Herve Ghesquiere, arrived Thursday at a military airport near Paris. Their Afghan translator, Reza Din, has also been released. French […]
French Journalists Kidnapped in Afghanistan Return Home
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 3:50 am (UTC-5)
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Greek Parliament Approves Austerity Plan
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 3:45 am (UTC-5)
Greek police clashed early Thursday with protesters outside parliament ahead of a vote to approve a final austerity bill. The Greek parliament Wednesday approved the first step in sweeping new austerity measures aimed at securing international financing for the debt-ridden nation. Thursday’s parliamentary vote is needed to implement the plan. Socialist Prime Minister George Papandreou […]
Malaysia Demands New Safeguards on Rare Earths Refinery
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 3:25 am (UTC-5)
Malaysia says it will demand new safety measures from an Australian company at work on the first rare earth processing plant to be built outside China in decades. If approved, the plant could meet up to 30 percent of the world’s demand for the minerals, used in high-tech products ranging from smart phones to cruise […]
Death Toll Rises in Ugandan School Lightning Strike
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 3:20 am (UTC-5)
Ugandan authorities say the death toll from a Tuesday lightning strike at a primary school has risen to at least 20. Officials say two more students have died as a result of the lightning strike at the Runyanya Primary School in the Kiryandongo district . A teacher is among the dead. Authorities say 36 other […]
NATO Airstrike Kills Militant Leader Linked to Kabul Hotel Attack
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 3:20 am (UTC-5)
NATO says it has killed a top Haqqani network leader in Afghanistan who is suspected of aiding militants who attacked a Kabul hotel late Tuesday. In a statement Thursday, NATO said it killed Ismail Jan and several Haqqani fighters in an airstrike in Paktiya province near the Pakistani border. It said Jan was the deputy […]
Second Former Taiwan President Faces Graft Charges
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 2:55 am (UTC-5)
Former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui has been indicted on charges of official corruption. Mr. Lee and Liu Tia-ying, his top aide, were charged Thursday with embezzling $7.79 million from a diplomatic fund during his 1988-2000 tenure in office. The 88-year-old Mr. Lee is one of the leading figures of Taiwan history, widely credited with moving […]
Russian Paper Cites Security Concerns For Canceled Kim Summit
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 2:55 am (UTC-5)
Russian and East Asian media provided conflicting accounts Thursday of the reasons for the apparent cancelation of a secret summit between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Neither government has confirmed that a meeting was in the works, though several news outlets quoted Russian sources saying the two were to […]
Russian Paper Cites Security Concerns For Canceled Kim Summit
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 2:42 am (UTC-5)
Russian and East Asian media provided conflicting accounts Thursday of the reasons for the apparent cancelation of a secret summit between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Neither government has confirmed that a meeting was in the works, though several news outlets quoted Russian sources saying the two were to […]
Slight Gains for Japan’s Nikkei
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 2:30 am (UTC-5)
Japanese markets closed higher Thursday, while the U.S. dollar is lower against the Japanese yen. Tokyo’s Nikkei index gained nearly one-quarter of one percent to finish at 9,816. In currency trading, the dollar was selling at 80.42 yen, a loss of over one-quarter of a yen from Wednesday. The Taipei market soared to close at […]
British Royal Couple to Begin First Overseas Tour
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 2:10 am (UTC-5)
Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine are traveling Thursday to Canada to begin their first overseas tour as a married couple. The 10-day trip begins in the capital, Ottawa, where the couple is scheduled to take part in a wreath laying ceremony at a war memorial, then attend a welcome ceremony and a barbecue […]
