Family, friends and admirers have said a final farewell to former U.S. first lady Betty Ford, who died last week at the age of 93. Mrs. Ford, an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and those battling addiction, was memorialized Thursday in the Michigan church where she married Gerald Ford more than six decades ago. Former […]
Geithner Warns US ‘Running Out of Time’ on Debt Issue
Posted July 14th, 2011 at 3:20 pm (UTC-5)
Top U.S. financial officials are issuing a new round of warnings about the potential catastrophe that awaits if lawmakers fail to raise the country’s debt limit by August 2. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told reporters Thursday the country is “running out of time” to raise the $14.3 trillion borrowing limit. He said Washington needs to […]
Afghan Officials Say NATO Kills 6 Civilians as War Casualties Rise
Posted July 14th, 2011 at 3:20 pm (UTC-5)
Afghan officials say six civilians have been killed during a NATO operation in eastern Afghanistan, as the United Nations reported that the number of Afghans killed in the war is up 15 percent this year compared to last. Hundreds of residents demonstrated Thursday in the city of Khost, where local officials said six civilians, including […]
Irish Foreign Minister Rebukes Papal Ambassador Over Sexual Abuse Cases
Posted July 14th, 2011 at 3:10 pm (UTC-5)
Ireland Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore met with Vatican ambassador Giuseppe Leanza Thursday, a day after a government-sponsored report condemned the country’s Roman Catholic Church for its inadequate response to allegations of the sexual abuse of children. Gilmore rebuked the papal ambassador for the Vatican’s behavior in the case and Leanza said he was “very distressed” […]
Putin Blames ‘Irresponsibility’ and ‘Greed’ for Deadly Riverboat Accident
Posted July 14th, 2011 at 3:00 pm (UTC-5)
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is blaming “irresponsibility” and “greed” for the recent sinking of an aging riverboat that killed at least 113 people. Prime Minister Putin made an unannounced visit Thursday to Kazan, the central Russian city from which the ill-fated Bulgaria had departed and was sailing back to on Sunday when it listed […]
Protesters Disrupt Shell Facility in Nigeria
Posted July 14th, 2011 at 2:50 pm (UTC-5)
Protesters in Nigeria broke into a Shell oil facility in the southern Niger delta demanding the company improve electrical supplies in their communities. Thursday’s demonstration by members of four local communities occurred at the Kolo Creek logistics base in Bayelsa state. The demonstrators accuse Shell of breaching an agreement to provide electricity and roads to […]
Ai Weiwei’s Wife, Lawyers Dispute Tax Charges at Hearing
Posted July 14th, 2011 at 2:30 pm (UTC-5)
The wife and associates of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei appeared Thursday before a local taxation bureau to challenge charges that the artist has evaded hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes. Ai’s wife, Lu Qing, appeared at the hearing with lawyers for the design company Beijing Fake Cultural Development, which Lu heads. The lawyers complain […]
US TV’s ‘Mildred Pierce,’ ‘Mad Men’ Get Most Emmy Nominations
Posted July 14th, 2011 at 2:25 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Depression-era miniseries Mildred Pierce and 1960s advertising drama Mad Men have nabbed the most nominations for this year’s Emmy Awards honoring the best in American primetime television. HBO’s Mildred Pierce earned 21 nods for the 63rd annual ceremony, while AMC’s Mad Men secured 19, including in the categories of best drama series, lead actor […]
13 Turkish Soldiers Killed, 7 Wounded In Clash With Kurdish Militants
Posted July 14th, 2011 at 2:25 pm (UTC-5)
Turkish officials now say Kurdish militants killed 13 soldiers and wounded seven others in clashes in the southeastern Diyarbakir Province. At least five rebels also died in the fighting. Government authorities say the operation is ongoing with more troops sent to the region to hunt for rebels in Diyarbakir Province. The Associated Press says Thursday’s […]
Political Violence Kills 15 in Karachi
Posted July 14th, 2011 at 2:00 pm (UTC-5)
Fresh political violence in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi has killed at least 15 people, following inflammatory remarks by a senior member of the country’s ruling political party. Police said Thursday the violence overnight in Karachi erupted after Zulfiqar Mirza, the head of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party in Sindh province, criticized the rival […]
