U.S. stock indexes dropped slightly in early trading Friday, a day after markets plunged. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is off three-tenths of one percent, while both the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ are down one-tenth of a percent. European stock markets are lower in afternoon trading. London’s Financial Times 100 index is off four-tenths […]
US Stocks Fall Slightly in Early Friday Trading
Roadside Bombs Kill Afghan Civilians, NATO Soldiers
Roadside bombs have killed seven civilians and two NATO soldiers in Afghanistan. The Afghan civilians were killed Friday when their vehicle struck a bomb in the Maywand district of southern Kandahar province. Police say four other people were wounded in the blast. A United Nations report in July said the number of civilian deaths from […]
Pope Highlights Bond With Muslims
Pope Benedict has met with Muslim leaders in Germany, and called for Christianity and Islam to grow together in “dialogue and mutual esteem.” He met with Muslim leaders in Berlin Friday, on the second day of his trip to Germany. The pope stressed the importance of religion in modern society and said he believes there […]
NASA Satellite to Fall to Earth Friday
NASA says debris from a decommissioned satellite is expected to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere sometime Friday, but it is unclear where the expected debris will land. The space agency said Thursday it has ruled out North America as a crash site for the 5.4 ton satellite, which is about the size of a city bus. […]
Ex-Croatian PM Charged With Bribe
Croatian prosecutors have indicted former prime minister Ivo Sanader for taking a bribe from a Hungarian energy company that secured the firm a dominant position in Croatia’s market. In a statement Friday, the prosecutors say Mr. Sanader reached the deal with Hungary’s MOL energy group in 2008 for $13.5 million, giving the company about a […]
Global Stock Markets Retreating More on Friday
Asian and European stock markets plummeted again on Friday as investors feared the world is headed into another recession. Finance officials from 20 of the world’s emerging and wealthy nations pledged to launch a coordinated effort to bolster the struggling global economy. But that did little to calm the worries of investors who have watched […]
Images Show ‘Massive’ Troop Build-Up in Sudan
New satellite images appear to show thousands of Sudanese government troops marching toward a rebel stronghold in a contested region near South Sudan. The Satellite Sentinel Project released the images Friday, saying at least 3,000 troops appear to be marching on Kurmuk in Blue Nile State. The U.S.-based monitoring group says the forces include heavy […]
Zambia Swears in Opposition Leader as New President
Zambia’s long-time opposition leader Michael Sata has been sworn in as president, marking the country’s second democratic transition of power since its independence from Britain. The electoral commission announced early Friday that the 74-year-old populist leader defeated incumbent candidate Rupiah Banda after a tight presidential race. In a tearful news conference, President Banda conceded defeat, […]
Chaotic Scene Marks Burial of Afghan Ex-President and Peacemaker
Thousands of mourners helped bury Afghanistan’s former president and head peace broker with the Taliban, Burhanuddin Rabbani, days after he was killed by a suicide bomber at his home. Friday’s funeral in Kabul drew large crowds of people who pushed and shoved around Mr. Rabbani’s coffin, which was draped in the Afghan flag. During the […]
Iraq, South Sudan Slated to Speak at UN Friday
The United Nations General Assembly holds its third day of general debate Friday, with the leaders of Iraq, the new country of South Sudan, and Israel slated to speak. General debate continues on Saturday and Monday through Friday of next week. On Thursday, in one of the most controversial of the speeches, Iranian President Mahmoud […]