NATO-led forces fighting in Afghanistan have reported a downward trend in insurgent attacks that appears to contradict a U.N. report released a day earlier that says the country has become significantly more insecure in 2011. The International Security Assistance Force said Thursday the number of what it called “security incidents” recorded in the first eight […]
UN, NATO At Odds Over Afghan Security
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 9:00 pm (UTC-5)
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Chavez Denies Rumors of Health Setback
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 8:30 pm (UTC-5)
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has gone on television to dismiss rumors about his health, a day after a newspaper reported he had been rushed to a hospital with kidney failure linked to his treatment for cancer. The televised images Thursday showed Mr. Chavez, wearing a baseball cap and a red top, tossing a softball on […]
European Rights Body Sees no Progress in Azerbaijan
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 8:15 pm (UTC-5)
Europe’s main human-rights body expressed concern Thursday about a lack of progress on the human-rights situation in Azerbaijan. Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg urged Azerbaijan to act urgently to uphold fundamental human rights, such as freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Hammarberg said the government in Baku has failed to implement recommendations […]
Yemen’s Saleh Says He Won’t Resign Until Rivals Are Gone
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 7:50 pm (UTC-5)
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh says he will not step down as long as his key rivals, a senior general who defected to the opposition and a billionaire tribal leader and his family, retain power and influence in the country. In an exclusive interview with The Washington Post and Time magazine, Mr. Saleh said a […]
US, Burmese Diplomats Hold Rare Meeting In Washington
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 6:35 pm (UTC-5)
Burma’s foreign minister has made a rare visit to the U.S. State Department to meet with senior government officials. A State Department spokesman said Burmese Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin met Thursday with the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, Kurt Campbell, and the U.S. special envoy to Burma, Derek Mitchell. He said the meeting […]
US Reduces Indonesian Debt, Supports Forest Conservation
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 6:15 pm (UTC-5)
The United States has forgiven almost $30 billion in Indonesian debt in return for forest conservation. The United States says the so-called debt-for-nature swap is the second such deal with Indonesia, aimed at reducing deforestation and climate change. The U.S. State Department says it will reduce Indonesia’s debt payment to the U.S. government over the […]
Stocks Higher, Dollar Stronger
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 5:55 pm (UTC-5)
After a day of sharp swings U.S. stock indexes closed higher Thursday. The Dow Jones industrial average ended with a gain of 143 points, 1.3 percent, to close at 11,154. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 9.34 points, or 0.8 percent, to 1,160. The Nasdaq composite index lost 10.82 points, or 0.4 percent, to […]
Russia’s Ruling Party Submits Candidate List for Parliamentary Poll
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 5:45 pm (UTC-5)
Russia’s ruling party, United Russia, says it has submitted its candidate list for the December parliament election to the national Central Election Commission. One of the party leaders, Sergei Neverov says incumbent President Dmitry Medvedev is heading the list of 600 people. But he said the party has no plans to include President Medvedev in […]
Clinton Condemns Attack on US Envoy in Syria
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 5:00 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has condemned a mob attack by pro-government Syrians who attempted to assault U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford and other American diplomats as they arrived for a meeting with a leading opposition figure in the capital, Damascus. Clinton called Thursday’s incident “wholly unjustified” and demanded that Syrian authorities fulfill their international […]
U.S. Capitol Police Investigating Fake Hostage Story
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 4:50 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Capitol Police say they are investigating the satirist media organization The Onion, after it “tweeted” messages saying, falsely, that there was a hostage situation at the U.S. Capitol Building. The Onion’s Twitter feed said gunfire was reported in the building. It later said U.S. lawmakers had taken 12 children hostage. The Onion continued to […]
