Campaign rallies have ended in Tunisia where voters will cast ballots Sunday in the first elections since the revolution that toppled former president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in January. Members of some of the major political parties pumped music through loudspeakers at rallies in Tunis Friday as volunteers distributed leaflets. More than 100 parties are […]
Obama: All US Troops to Leave Iraq by Year’s End
Posted October 21st, 2011 at 9:45 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama has announced that all U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of the year. The president made the statement Friday after a videoconference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. In remarks in the White House press briefing room, Mr. Obama said, “Our troops in Iraq will definitely be […]
Burundi Remains Most Corrupt East African Country
Posted October 21st, 2011 at 9:40 pm (UTC-5)
An international survey shows Burundi as East Africa’s most corrupt country for the second consecutive year. Berlin-based Transparency International says Burundi is topping the region’s list of the most corrupt nations because of the number of offenders among its police, revenue authorities and the judiciary. Rwanda was ranked as the least corrupt of the five-member […]
Libyans Line Up to See Gadhafi’s Body
Posted October 21st, 2011 at 9:00 pm (UTC-5)
Libyans on Friday lined up at a shopping center on the outskirts of the city Misrata, hoping to get a glimpse of the body of their former leader. Moammar Gadhafi’s body lay on a mattress in the freezer of an old meat store. Some of the visitors used their mobile phones to take pictures or […]
Experts: Private Banks May Have to Forgive Half of Greek Debt
Posted October 21st, 2011 at 8:00 pm (UTC-5)
International lenders say private banks lending money to Greece may have to forgive the debt-ridden country more than a half of what it owes them. The latest review by European Union and International Monetary Fund experts shows that a Greek bond writedown of 50 to 60 percent would still leave the country’s debt burden bigger […]
Obama Signs Korea, Colombia, Panama Trade Deals
Posted October 21st, 2011 at 7:55 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama has signed into law trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. Supporters say the deals will boost U.S. exports by billions of dollars and preserve or create hundreds of thousand of jobs in the United States. Opponents say the agreements will hurt rather than help American workers. After the signing […]
UN Official Reports Severe Food Shortage in North Korea
Posted October 21st, 2011 at 6:45 pm (UTC-5)
A United Nations official in charge of humanitarian affairs says during a visit to North Korea she found there is a serious food shortage, causing a growing number of children to suffer from malnutrition. Under-secretary-general Valerie Amos warned of the dire situation in the Asian country upon return Friday from a five-day mission to verify […]
Mexican Truck Enters US After Long Trade Dispute
Posted October 21st, 2011 at 6:25 pm (UTC-5)
The first Mexican tractor-trailer truck has crossed into the United States following a 16-year trade dispute. The commercial truck, hauling drilling equipment, entered the United States on Friday. A ceremony was held in the Mexican border city of Laredo before the truck set off for Dallas, Texas. It was the first time a long-haul Mexican […]
U.N. Council Calls For Power Transfer in Yemen
Posted October 21st, 2011 at 5:45 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations Security Council has condemned the Yemeni government for its crackdown on dissent and urged President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. The resolution, unanimously passed Friday by the council’s 15 members, is the body’s first resolution on Yemen since widespread anti-government protests began there in the spring. The measure calls Yemen’s use […]
Flood Death Toll Reaches 342 in Thailand, Waters Reach Bangkok
Posted October 21st, 2011 at 5:10 pm (UTC-5)
The death toll from floods in Thailand has reached 342 and floodwaters are reaching outer Bangkok. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra urged residents in the Thai capital Friday to move their belongings to higher ground, but she asked them not to panic. Water rose to knee-level in some places after flooding over canals in Bangkok’s northern […]
