Libyan provisional government fighters say they have pushed into the center of former leader Moammar Gadhafi’s hometown, Sirte, capturing several areas once held by those loyal to the deposed autocrat. National Transitional Council fighters said Sunday they are now in control of convention center buildings that Gadhafi loyalists had used as their main base of […]
Leaders of Sudan and South Sudan Agree to End Disputes
Posted October 9th, 2011 at 10:00 am (UTC-5)
The president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, has ended a two day visit to Khartoum where he and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir discussed issues that continue to produce tensions between the two countries. Unresolved since South Sudan became independent in early July are the future of the disputed oil-rich border region of Abyei and how […]
Sri Lanka Ruling Party Sweeps Local Councils Except in Capital
Posted October 9th, 2011 at 9:50 am (UTC-5)
Sri Lanka’s ruling party has won a landslide victory in Saturday’s local elections but failed to secure control of the capital’s municipal council in one of its few defeats. Officials results released Sunday show Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s United People’s Freedom Alliance won majorities in 21 of the 23 municipal councils that were contested […]
China Marks Centennial End of Dynasty with New Call for Reunification
Posted October 9th, 2011 at 9:45 am (UTC-5)
China has marked the 100th anniversary of the revolution that ended two millennia of nearly unbroken imperial rule. Festivities in Beijing Sunday included calls for the reunification of Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, and a surprise public appearance by the ailing former Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Current President Hu Jintao, speaking to top Communist Party […]
Japan Begins Thyroid Studies on Fukushima Children
Posted October 9th, 2011 at 8:35 am (UTC-5)
Japanese doctors have begun long-term testing on 360,000 children to learn the extent to which radiation leaking from a crippled nuclear power plant may have exposed them to an increased risk of thyroid cancer. The ultrasonic thyroid exams began Sunday at Fukushima Medical University, targeting children in two towns closest to the disabled Fukushima-Daiichi plant. […]
Libya’s NTC Takes Sirte Center
Posted October 9th, 2011 at 7:05 am (UTC-5)
Libyan provisional government fighters say they have captured the main buildings of a convention center in former leader Moammar Gadhafi’s hometown, Sirte. National Transitional Council fighters said Sunday they are now in control of the center that Gadhafi loyalists had used as their main base of operation. On Saturday, NTC fighters faced stiff resistance from […]
Syria’s Foreign Minister Warns Against Recognizing Opposition
Posted October 9th, 2011 at 6:40 am (UTC-5)
Syria’s foreign minister has warned the international community not to recognize a newly formed opposition council. Walid al-Moallem said Sunday Damascus will take “tough measures” against any country that recognizes the Syrian National Council. He said the opposition group is “illegitimate.” Dozens of Syrian opposition leaders met in Stockholm Saturday to discuss strategies to advance […]
Afghan Female Lawmaker Stages Hunger Strike
Posted October 9th, 2011 at 6:15 am (UTC-5)
An ousted female Afghan lawmaker has mounted a hunger strike to protest her expulsion from parliament over alleged vote fraud in last year’s parliamentary elections. Semin Barakzai has staged her political protest for more than a week in Kabul in a tent outside parliament. Dozens of lawmakers returned to parliament Saturday following a boycott of […]
Presidential Voting Off to Slow Start in Cameroon
Posted October 9th, 2011 at 4:55 am (UTC-5)
Voting in Cameroon’s presidential election got off to a slow start Sunday, with polls opening later than expected. Incumbent President Paul Biya is expected to win a new seven year term, extending his 29-year rule over the central African state. The 78-year old leader is facing a fractured opposition, with a record 22 candidates running […]
8 Injured in Philippines Bombings
Posted October 9th, 2011 at 3:50 am (UTC-5)
Authorities in the southern Philippines say two explosions rocked the city of Zamboanga Sunday, injuring eight people. Police Senior Superintendent Edwin De Ocampo said one blast tore through the ground floor of a hotel around noon. The second explosion hit a cock-fighting arena nearby. Police would not comment on whether the two bombings were related. […]
