A prominent Burmese entertainer and dissident was freed Wednesday as part of the government’s pledge to grant amnesty to more than 6,000 prisoners. Comedian Zarganar was arrested in 2008 and sentenced to 59 years in prison for criticizing the former military junta’s slow response to Cyclone Nargis, which left about 138,000 people dead or missing […]
Jailed Burmese Dissident Among First to be Released Under Amnesty
Posted October 11th, 2011 at 11:20 pm (UTC-5)
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Egypt’s Military Rejects Deputy PM Resignation Following Clashes
Posted October 11th, 2011 at 10:05 pm (UTC-5)
Egypt’s military ruler, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, has rejected the resignation of the country’s deputy prime minister in the wake of violent clashes between security forces and Coptic Christians that left 26 people dead. Hazem El-Beblawi submitted his intention to leave the Cabinet on Tuesday, citing a “severe breach of the security and safety […]
Filipino Captain Charged in New Zealand Oil Spill
Posted October 11th, 2011 at 9:55 pm (UTC-5)
The captain of a cargo ship grounded on a reef off New Zealand’s coast has appeared in court in connection with environmental damage caused by the fuel oil leaking from the ship. The Filipino national appeared in a court Wednesday in New Zealand’s port city of Tauranga and was charged with operating a vessel in […]
Senate Passes China Currency Bill
Posted October 11th, 2011 at 9:35 pm (UTC-5)
The Senate has passed a bill that could bring sanctions against China or any country found to be deliberately manipulating the value of its currency. The measure would open the door for U.S. sanctions if the Treasury Department finds a country is manipulating its currency and not taking steps to fix it. It also would […]
Vietnam, China Sign Accord On Maritime Issues
Posted October 11th, 2011 at 9:10 pm (UTC-5)
China and Vietnam have signed an agreement on peaceful settlement of maritime disputes in the South China Sea. The document was signed Tuesday in Beijing by China’s Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun and his Vietnamese counterpart Ho Xuan Son. Under the six-point agreement, the two neighbors will seek to handle maritime disputes through negotiations and […]
Senate Rejects Obama Jobs Bill, Obama Says Fight Is Not Over
Posted October 11th, 2011 at 8:45 pm (UTC-5)
The U.S. Senate has rejected President Barack Obama’s plan to create millions of new jobs through government work programs and tax breaks for businesses. Tuesday’s vote was a procedural vote – called by Democrats to see whether the bill could be brought to a full debate and final consideration. With the economy barely moving and […]
Senate Passes China Currency Bill
Posted October 11th, 2011 at 8:00 pm (UTC-5)
The Senate has passed a bill that could bring sanctions against China or any country found to be deliberately manipulating the value of its currency – 63 senators voted yes while 35 said no. The measure would open the door for U.S. sanctions if the Treasury Department finds a country is manipulating its currency and […]
Australia’s Lower House Passes Carbon Tax Bill
Posted October 11th, 2011 at 7:50 pm (UTC-5)
Australia’s lower house of parliament has passed a contentious new law on carbon emissions tax, ending years of heated debate. Lawmakers passed a packet of measures Wednesday that will impose a levy on the country’s biggest polluters starting July 1 of next year. Polluters will be paying a fixed price of about $23 per ton […]
Israel, Hamas to Swap Prisoners for Captured Soldier
Posted October 11th, 2011 at 7:45 pm (UTC-5)
Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas say they have reached a deal to free an Israeli soldier held captive in the Gaza Strip, in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the Egyptian-mediated agreement on Israeli television late Tuesday. His Cabinet later voted overwhelmingly to approve the deal. Mr. […]
Afghan Election Officials Reaffirm Decision to Expel 9 MPs
Posted October 11th, 2011 at 7:40 pm (UTC-5)
Afghan election officials on Tuesday reaffirmed their decision to expel nine lawmakers from parliament for voter fraud. The head of Afghanistan’s election commission, Fazel Ahmad Manawai, said Tuesday the officials are ready and willing to make public how they arrived at their decision. Their announcement came after one of the unseated politicians, Simeen Barakzai, vowed […]
