A tropical storm watch for Haiti has been upgraded to a warning as Tropical Storm Emily makes its way through the Caribbean. The storm is predicted to reach the island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, by Wednesday. The news is particularly bad for Haiti, where thousands of people still live in […]
Muslim Americans’ Optimism Growing
Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 2:55 pm (UTC-5)
A survey by the Gallup polling organization indicates Muslim Americans feel more optimistic than in recent years, but are more critical of U.S. foreign policy. A Dubai-based branch of the Gallup polling centers released results of a three-year survey on Tuesday that showed some 60 percent of American Muslims say they are “thriving,” an increase […]
Libyan Rebels Attempt Advance in Zlitan
Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 2:55 pm (UTC-5)
Libyan troops and rebels are battling near the western town of Zlitan, where rebel fighters are trying to seize control of the area from forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi. Reports from the scene are scarce, but the French News Agency quotes a rebel military spokesman Tuesday as saying opposition fighters have advanced closer to the […]
2nd Man Held in French Tourist Deaths in Argentina
Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 2:55 pm (UTC-5)
Argentine authorities are holding a second man for questioning in the murders of two French women who were found shot to death last month in the northern Salta province. Officials Tuesday said the man in custody may have sold a weapon that could have been used in the killings of 23-year-old Moumni Houria and 29-year-old […]
Obama Signs Debt Bill; US Avoids Default
Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 2:40 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama has signed a compromise law that will cut spending and raise the nation’s borrowing limit, to avoid a possible unprecedented U.S. government default. Mr. Obama signed the measure Tuesday, just after the the U.S. Senate voted 74 to 26 in favor of the bill and 10 hours before the government said […]
Italy Approves Draft Law Banning Burqas
Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 2:20 pm (UTC-5)
Italy’s parliamentary commission has approved a draft law banning women from wearing veils that cover their faces in public. The draft law was sponsored by Souad Sbai, a Moroccan-born member of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s conservative Freedom People party. The law, which was passed by the constitutional affairs commission Tuesday, would prohibit women from wearing […]
Death Toll Mounts in Syria as UN Debates Resolution
Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 2:10 pm (UTC-5)
Syrian activists and witnesses say the three-day death toll from the government’s crackdown on dissent has topped 100. They commented on Tuesday as the U.N. Security Council debates a draft resolution that expresses “grave concern” about deadly violence in the country. The Security Council is meeting for a second day on the measure that urges […]
Mexico: Suspect Arrested in Killing of 20 Acapulco Tourists
Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 2:10 pm (UTC-5)
Mexican authorities have arrested an alleged drug trafficker suspected of being involved in the abduction and killing of 20 tourists last September in the resort city of Acapulco. Federal police said Tuesday they have detained Moises Montero Alvarez, whom they identified as a leader of the Independent Cartel of Acapulco. They said the 42-year-old was […]
Nigeria Seeks Information About Militant Sect
Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 2:05 pm (UTC-5)
Nigeria’s government has established a committee to learn more about the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram. When it first announced the committee on Sunday, the government said the seven-person panel would negotiate with Boko Haram, which is blamed for a long string of killings, mostly in the northeastern state of Borno. But a Nigerian government […]
Suspected US Drone Kills 4 Militants in Pakistan
Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 1:50 pm (UTC-5)
Pakistani intelligence officials say a U.S. drone strike has killed four militants in a northwestern tribal region near the Afghan border, marking the second such missile attack in two days. The officials said Tuesday the U.S. drone fired missiles at the militants’ vehicle near Miran Shah, the main town in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal area. […]
