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Australian High Court Scuttles Refugee Swap Deal with Malaysia

Posted August 31st, 2011 at 2:15 am (UTC-5)
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Australia’s High Court has blocked the government’s plan to transfer hundreds of asylum seekers to Malaysia. In a 5-2 decision announced Wednesday, the court agreed with a pair of asylum seekers who argued the deal is illegal because Kuala Lumpur has not signed international treaties on the treatment of refugees, and that is not legally […]

Japan’s Incoming PM Seeks Early Meeting With Obama

Posted August 31st, 2011 at 2:10 am (UTC-5)
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Incoming Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda says he is seeking an early meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama. Mr. Noda, who is busy putting together his cabinet ahead of a swearing-in ceremony this week, said Wednesday he expressed his desire for a meeting in a telephone conversation with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Japanese officials […]

Tags: , , Posted in East Asia Pacific

Tropical Storm Katia Could Become Hurricane Wednesday

Posted August 31st, 2011 at 1:51 am (UTC-5)
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As clean-up efforts continue in the eastern United States in the wake of Hurricane Irene, the next tropical Atlantic storm has already formed. The National Hurricane Center predicted Tuesday that Tropical Storm Katia could become a full-blown hurricane by Wednesday. Tropical Storm Katia is racing west across the Atlantic Ocean at 35 kilometers per hour. […]

Tags: , , Posted in Americas

Libya’s Anti-Gadhafi Forces Set Deadline For Loyalist Surrender

Posted August 31st, 2011 at 1:50 am (UTC-5)
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Libya’s provisional authorities have announced a Saturday deadline for forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi in his hometown of Sirte to surrender. National Transitional Council leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said his forces will begin military action in Sirte if pro-Gadhafi troops do not complete negotiations and surrender by Saturday – one day after the end of […]

Tags: Posted in Middle East

Two Monks Receive Long Jail Terms Amid US Concern

Posted August 31st, 2011 at 1:50 am (UTC-5)
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A Chinese court has sentenced two Tibetan monks to long prison terms Tuesday in an unusual case that has prompted widespread international attention. The United States expressed concern over the 11-year term given another monk Monday. All three monks are accused of contributing to the death of 16-year-old Rigzin Phuntsog, who burned himself to death […]

Tags: , Posted in East Asia Pacific

Deadly Tropical Storm Makes Landfall in China

Posted August 31st, 2011 at 1:05 am (UTC-5)
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Tropical Storm Nanmadol made landfall in southeastern China early Wednesday, striking Fujian province with maximum winds of 72 kilometers an hour. Authorities say there have been no immediate reports of casualties in China despite the death and destruction caused by Nanmadol in Taiwan and the Philippines. Forecasters expect the storm to linger over the region […]

At Least 12 People Involved in Mexico Casino Arson Attack

Posted August 31st, 2011 at 12:40 am (UTC-5)
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Mexican authorities are seeking seven more suspects in an arson attack that left 52 people dead at a casino in the northern state of Nuevo Leon. Officials said they are seeking additional suspects on Tuesday, as five people already in custody were presented to the news media. Authorities say the five are alleged members of […]

Tags: , , Posted in Americas

Airlifts Begin for Stranded Victims of Irene

Posted August 31st, 2011 at 12:35 am (UTC-5)
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Emergency workers in the northeastern United States have begun airlifting food and water to thousands of residents stranded by floodwaters from Hurricane Irene. Authorities said Tuesday that at least a dozen communities in the state of Vermont were unreachable by vehicle because of damage to roads and bridges caused by the state’s worst floods in […]

Tags: , Posted in US

China Calls for Crackdown on Internet Rumors

Posted August 31st, 2011 at 12:20 am (UTC-5)
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China’s state news agency has called for a crackdown on what it calls the spread of toxic rumors over the Internet. In an article Tuesday, published only in Chinese, Xinhua criticized the increasingly popular social networking sites for spreading rumors like cancer, and urged preventive action. The Xinhua article comes just days after a senior […]