The Australian government is scrapping its plan to process asylum seekers offshore after Prime Minister Julia Gillard failed to secure enough votes in Parliament to approve a refugee swap deal with Malaysia. Ms. Gillard canceled a parliamentary vote scheduled for Thursday after an independent lawmaker declared his opposition to legislation that would have permitted the […]
Australia Abandons Refugee Swap Deal with Malaysia
Posted October 13th, 2011 at 8:35 am (UTC-5)
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Berlusconi Addresses Parliament Ahead of Confidence Vote
Posted October 13th, 2011 at 7:45 am (UTC-5)
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has appealed to parliament to allow him to continue leading the country. He spoke a day before a critical confidence vote by lawmakers. Mr. Berlusconi said Thursday there is no “credible alternative” to his government and that early elections would not solve Italy’s financial crisis. A key partner in his […]
Suspected US Drone Strike Kills Senior Haqqani Militant
Posted October 13th, 2011 at 7:35 am (UTC-5)
Pakistani intelligence officials say a U.S. drone strike in northwest Pakistan has killed a senior member of the militant Haqqani network. Thursday’s attack in North Waziristan reportedly killed Jalil Haqqani, a logistics coordinator for the al-Qaida-linked group. At least three other militants were also killed when an unmanned aircraft fired missiles at a compound near […]
Obama, Saudi King Pledge “Unified” Response to Iran Plot
Posted October 13th, 2011 at 7:20 am (UTC-5)
The United States and Saudi Arabia have pledged to pursue a “strong and unified” international response to the alleged plot by elements of the Iranian government to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington. The White House said U.S. President Barack Obama and Saudi King Abdullah spoke by telephone Wednesday and agreed that the plot represents […]
US Report: Rocket Caused Afghan Chopper Crash
Posted October 13th, 2011 at 7:15 am (UTC-5)
The U.S. military says the Chinook helicopter crash in Afghanistan that killed 30 US troops in August was caused by a rocket-propelled grenade that struck the aircraft. An official investigation report released Thursday found no wrongdoing by personnel involved in the August 6 mission. The report dismissed speculation the helicopter had flown into a trap […]
Trade, Economic Issues Top Agenda for Lao-Russian Summit
Posted October 13th, 2011 at 6:55 am (UTC-5)
Lao President Choummaly Sayasone meets in Moscow Thursday with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for talks expected to focus on rapidly growing trade between their countries. Russian statistics show two-way trade totaled almost $40 million in the first seven months of this year, compared to less than $9 million in all of 2010. Russian sales to […]
Asia Markets Close Mostly Higher
Posted October 13th, 2011 at 6:55 am (UTC-5)
Major Asian stock markets closed mostly higher Thursday. Tokyo’s Nikkei index gained one percent to finish at 8,823. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose over two and one-quarter percent to finish the day’s trading at 18,758. Share prices were higher in Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney and Taipei, but lower in Bangkok, Mumbai, […]
Libya’s NTC Focusing Sirte Fight
Posted October 13th, 2011 at 6:30 am (UTC-5)
Libyan provisional government fighters say efforts to oust remaining loyalists of former leader Moammar Gadhafi in his hometown of Sirte are focused on two neighborhoods, amid conflicting reports that one of Mr. Gadhafi’s sons has been arrested. Fighting Thursday included rocket fire in Sirte, where anti-Gadhafi fighters say they control more than 80 percent of […]
Uganda Charges 3 Former Government Officials with Corruption
Posted October 13th, 2011 at 6:20 am (UTC-5)
A Ugandan court on Thursday brought corruption charges against three recently resigned government officials. Prosecutors in Uganda’s High Court charged former Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa, ex-Junior Labor Minister Mwesigwa Rukutana and onetime parliamentary leader John Nasasira with abuse of office and causing financial loss to the government. The charges were related to the disappearance […]
High Radiation Detected Far from Crippled Japanese Plant
Posted October 13th, 2011 at 5:55 am (UTC-5)
New radiation threats have been discovered in Tokyo and the nearby city of Yokohama, suggesting that radiation from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant remains a problem throughout much of Japan. Officials in Setagaya, a residential area in Tokyo about 235 kilometers southwest of Fukushima, say radiation has been measured on a sidewalk near a school […]
