A top U.S. envoy has visited Vietnam to hold talks on expanding cooperation to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction. The State Department said Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Countryman spoke with officials in Hanoi on Wednesday and Thursday. In a statement, Countryman said Vietnam has demonstrated a serious commitment to cooperating with […]
US Envoy Speaks With Vietnamese Officials About Non-Proliferation
Clinton Intends to Push Pakistan ‘Very Hard’ on Militants
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she intends to push the Pakistanis “very hard” to help remove suspected Taliban safehavens on their side of the border. Clinton made her comments alongside Afghan President Hamid Karzai Thursday in Kabul. She is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad later in the day with the U.S. spy chief […]
China Defends Internet Censorship Against US Trade Query
China is defending its censorship of the Internet and suggesting U.S. objections to the practice amount to interference in China’s internal affairs. The United States had asked for an explanation why China blocks American companies from providing their services to Chinese customers over the Internet. Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu did not respond directly to […]
Timeline of Moammar Gadhafi Rise and Fall
The following are important moments in the rise and fall of Moammar Gadhafi: September 1, 1969: 27-year-old Gadhafi leads a military coup against Libya’s king. April 5, 1986: Terrorist bombing of a German nightclub kills 2 U.S. servicemen. U.S. retaliates with air strikes in Libya because of the Gadhafi government’s alleged involvement in the bombing. […]
Gadhafi’s 42-Year Reign Marked By Controversy
Moammar Gadhafi was in power from 1969 when he deposed the nation’s king in a military coup until National Transitional Council fighters overran his compound in August. National Transitional Council officials say the former Libyan leader died Wednesday as transitional fighters took control of Gadhafi’s hometown. Sirte was the last remaining bastion controlled by Gadhafi […]
Reports: Former Libyan Leader Gadhafi Dead
Provisional government officials in Libya say former leader Moammar Gadhafi has died after being wounded as he tried to flee from the town of Sirte. The reports have not been independently confirmed. Earlier Thursday, military leaders in the National Transitional Council said Mr. Gadhafi had been taken into custody. NTC officials said he was badly […]
Gadhafi Reportedly Captured in Libya
National Transitional Council officials in Libya say provisional fighters have captured former leader Moammar Gadhafi, but the reports have not been independently confirmed. Military leaders in the NTC say Mr. Gadhafi was taken into custody on Thursday, shortly after provisional fighters gained control of his hometown of Sirte. The U.S. State Department says it cannot […]
China Demands Philippines release Seized Trawlers
China is demanding that the Philippines release fishing boats it said were seized by the Philippine navy after a collision in a disputed area of the South China Sea. The demand Thursday comes one day after the Philippines issued a formal apology for the incident. Manila called the collision near the Spratly islands an accident […]
Swedish Journalists Plead Not Guilty to Terrorism Charges in Ethiopia
Two Swedish journalists who are accused of aiding an outlawed rebel group in Ethiopia pleaded not guilty on Thursday to terrorism charges in Ethiopia’s Federal High Court. Ethiopian troops arrested freelance investigative journalist Martin Schibbye and photojournalist Johan Persson in July with members of the Ogaden National Liberation Front, which Ethiopia considers to be a […]
Yemen’s Opposition Rejects President’s Call for Guarantees
Yemeni opposition leaders have criticized President Ali Abdullah Saleh for saying that he needed certain guarantees in order to sign an initiative that calls for his resignation. Opposition leader Mohammed Qahtan said Thursday that Mr. Saleh’s refusal to sign the plan and step down amounted to a call for “war.” The Gulf Cooperation Council initiative […]