The Taliban in Afghanistan says it has acquired the security plans for an upcoming meeting of tribal elders where the elders are expected to make decisions on future ties with the U.S. Afghan officials have dismissed the documents, published on a Taliban website, as fake. They say the material is a scare tactic, designed to […]
Obama Warns Candidates Against Reinstating Waterboarding
Posted November 14th, 2011 at 4:05 am (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama says Republican presidential hopefuls who say they would be willing to reinstate the interrogation practice known as waterboarding are “wrong” to consider using the technique. During a news conference late Sunday, Mr. Obama reiterated his position that the process of simulating drowning is torture, and said that anyone who understands the […]
Kidnappers in Yemen Free 3 French Aid Workers
Posted November 14th, 2011 at 3:40 am (UTC-5)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy says three French aid workers kidnapped in Yemen nearly six months ago have been freed with help from the sultan of Oman. In a statement Monday, Mr. Sarkozy thanked the Omani leader for his “decisive help,” but did not elaborate on the details of the release. The three hostages – two […]
Asian Markets Rebound
Posted November 14th, 2011 at 2:55 am (UTC-5)
Asian stock markets are trading sharply higher Monday, buoyed by good news from Italy, Greece, China and Japan. Investors appear optimistic that new leadership in Italy and Greece will make progress on resolving Europe’s debt crisis. Markets also responded positively to a new report that indicated Japan’s economy has expanded for the first time in […]
Obama Hopeful Deficit Panel Will Find Solution
Posted November 14th, 2011 at 2:55 am (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama says he hopes the leaders of a congressional committee tasked with cutting the federal deficit by $1.2 trillion will do what is necessary in the coming days to agree on a plan. Mr. Obama said during a news conference Sunday that the cuts do not require radical changes, and that other […]
China’s Bullet Trains to Return to Service after Recall
Posted November 14th, 2011 at 2:50 am (UTC-5)
Chinese rail authorities this week will start to resume operation of 54 bullet trains which were halted after a deadly rail accident in July. The official Xinhua news agency said Monday that six of the 54 trains will resume service on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway on Wednesday. If all goes well, the rest of the […]
Obama Vows New Bid to Halt Iran Nuclear Effort
Posted November 14th, 2011 at 2:05 am (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama says sanctions on Iran are having “enormous bite and scope” and that he will consult with China and Russia on more steps to pressure Tehran to stop its controversial nuclear program. Mr. Obama, speaking after the APEC summit in Hawaii Sunday, said he is not taking any options off the table […]
Obama told Sarkozy US ‘Disappointed’ With French Vote on Palestine
Posted November 14th, 2011 at 2:00 am (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama says he used a private meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy earlier this month to express “significant disappointment” with a French vote in favor of Palestinians joining the U.N. cultural heritage agency, UNESCO. Mr. Obama’s private November 3 meeting with Mr. Sarkozy ahead of a Group of 20 summit in the […]
Explosion Kills 7 in Northeastern China
Posted November 14th, 2011 at 2:00 am (UTC-5)
Chinese media report that at least seven people were killed Monday when an explosion ripped through a restaurant in the northwestern Chinese city of Xi’an. The official Xinhua news agency said the blast occurred early Monday at a fast food restaurant on the first floor of Jiatian International Mansion, a commercial building in the city […]
New Space Station Crew Begins Journey Into Space
Posted November 14th, 2011 at 1:55 am (UTC-5)
The new International Space Station crew launched early Monday from a snowy Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Despite more than 15 centimeters of snow on the ground at the launch facility, the Soyuz spacecraft was free of the technical problems that have plagued the Russian space program in recent months. The new three-man crew, including an […]
