Iraqi officials are searching for at least eight inmates who escaped from a prison south of Baghdad following clashes at the facility that left at least five people dead. The prisoners escaped from a jail in the city of Hilla late Friday after some inmates seized weapons from guards and set jail cells on fire. […]
China Slams US on Credit Downgrade, Most Countries Cautious
Posted August 6th, 2011 at 11:55 am (UTC-5)
Countries around the world trying to assess the impact of the U.S. credit downgrade on the global economy are starting to speak out. China issued a stern warning to the United States Saturday, criticizing the country’s “debt addiction” and saying Washington needs to understand it can no longer borrow its way out of economic problems. […]
Sao Tome Prepares for Presidential Run-Off
Posted August 6th, 2011 at 11:50 am (UTC-5)
The African island chain Sao Tome and Principe is preparing to hold a run-off election after none of 10 candidates won an absolute majority in a presidential vote last month. The top two finishers, former President Manuel Pinto da Costa and Parliament Speaker Evaristo de Carvalho will face off in the second round Sunday. Former […]
Syrian FM Promises General Elections Soon
Posted August 6th, 2011 at 11:30 am (UTC-5)
Syria’s foreign minister has indicated that general elections will be held by the end of the year, as anti-government protesters continue to press for President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster. Walid Moallem also said “free and fair elections” would lead to a people’s assembly that represents the Syrian population. He commented on Saturday, two days after President […]
China Braces for Powerful Typhoon
Posted August 6th, 2011 at 11:25 am (UTC-5)
Forecasters say Typhoon Muifa will miss the major Chinese city of Shanghai, a reprieve for the city of 23 million people. The latest reports Saturday indicated that Shanghai would be spared the full force of typhoon Muifa’s high winds and torrential rains, though forecasters say the city will likely experience some effects from the storm. […]
Karzai: 31 US Special Forces Killed in Afghan Helicopter Crash
Posted August 6th, 2011 at 11:20 am (UTC-5)
Afghan President Hamid Karzai says 31 members of U.S. special forces and seven members of an Afghan special unit have died in a helicopter crash in the eastern part of the country. Officials say the crash in Wardak province represents the biggest death toll in a single incident for international forces in Afghanistan since the […]
Al-Shabab Militants Withdraw From Somali Capital
Posted August 6th, 2011 at 10:45 am (UTC-5)
Somalia’s U.N.-backed federal government is hailing the news that al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militants have pulled out of Mogadishu. In a statement Saturday, Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali said it was a “tremendous step forward” towards a more stable Somalia. He said the al-Shabab retreat was the result of military operations earlier in the week by the […]
Cape Verde Prepares for Presidential Vote
Posted August 6th, 2011 at 10:40 am (UTC-5)
Voters in the west African archipelago of Cape Verde are preparing to choose a new president. Four candidates are vying Sunday to replace President Pedro Pires, who steps down after serving two terms. Manuel Inocencio Sousa is the official candidate of Mr. Pires’ ruling African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). Sousa faces […]
US Credit Downgrade Sparks More Political Jabs
Posted August 6th, 2011 at 10:25 am (UTC-5)
The first-ever U.S. credit downgrade is sparking a new round of political infighting over the country’s continuing economic woes. The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Republican John Boehner, blamed the downgrade on decades of reckless spending, accusing leading Democrats of refusing to make “tough choices.” Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the […]
Libyan Rebels Advance in Western Town
Posted August 6th, 2011 at 10:25 am (UTC-5)
Libyan rebels say they have pushed back pro-government forces in Bir al-Ghanam, a strategic town about 80 kilometers southwest of Tripoli. Opposition fighters said Saturday that forces loyal to leader Moammar Gadhafi had retreated following fierce clashes. For months, rebel fighters have been trying to move closer to Tripoli by gaining control of towns west […]
