Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh and opposition leaders signed a long-awaited agreement Wednesday to transfer power to the country’s vice president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and hold early presidential elections. Following a signing ceremony in Saudi Arabia, Saudi King Abdullah said that a new page in Yemen’s history has been turned. He urged the Yemeni […]
Yemen President Signs Transition Deal, Protests Continue
Posted November 23rd, 2011 at 10:35 pm (UTC-5)
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Portuguese Workers to Stage General Strike Thursday
Posted November 23rd, 2011 at 10:20 pm (UTC-5)
Portuguese workers will stage a general strike Thursday to protest the government’s tough austerity measures imposed by the European Union. The country’s two largest trade unions representing more than 1 million workers plan to hold more than 30 marches. The strike is expected to disrupt transport and other public services, including schools and hospitals, throughout […]
Tunisian Forces Fire in Air During Protest
Posted November 23rd, 2011 at 10:15 pm (UTC-5)
Tunisian security forces on Wednesday fired into the air and used tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters in the town of Kasserine, about 300 kilometers southwest of the capital, Tunis. Local officials said demonstrators hurled stones at a local prison and surrounded it. They said protesters were angry because they felt that the country’s […]
Egypt’s Protests Continue Despite Concessions
Posted November 23rd, 2011 at 8:35 pm (UTC-5)
Anti-government protests in Egypt continued for a fifth day Wednesday in-and around the iconic Tahrir Square in Cairo, despite concessions announced by the head of the ruling military council designed to ease discontent. On Tuesday, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, pledged to speed the transition to […]
Regional Group Says Gambia’s Presidential Election Will Be Unfair
Posted November 23rd, 2011 at 8:25 pm (UTC-5)
Gambia holds a presidential election Thursday which a West African regional bloc already says will not be free and fair. Political observers expect President Yahya Jammeh to win another five year term after the opposition failed to form a coalition to challenge him. The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States is refusing to send […]
UN Appoints New Special Representative for Afghanistan
Posted November 23rd, 2011 at 7:10 pm (UTC-5)
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Slovak diplomat Jan Kubis as his special representative and head of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan. Kubis succeeds Staffan de Mistura of Sweden, who will complete his tenure on December 31, 2011. In a statement Wednesday, Mr. Ban said he was grateful to Mistura for his dedication and […]
Obama Pardons Thanksgiving Turkeys
Posted November 23rd, 2011 at 6:55 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama has granted a pardon to the national Thanksgiving turkey and its alternate, saving the birds from becoming part of a traditional Thanksgiving Day feast. At the annual White House ceremony the day before the holiday, Mr. Obama Wednesday spared the two 19-week-old, 20-kilogram turkeys from the Thanksgiving dinner table, where the […]
Pakistan Appoints New US Ambassador After Scandal
Posted November 23rd, 2011 at 6:25 pm (UTC-5)
Pakistan has named a new ambassador to Washington after previous envoy Hussain Haqqani was ordered to resign following allegations that Pakistani media have labeled “memogate.” Officials said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appointed former Information Minister Sherry Rehman to the post Wednesday, less than 24 hours after Haqqani stepped down following claims he had appealed […]
US Says It Will Not Change Missile Shield Plan After Russian Threat
Posted November 23rd, 2011 at 6:15 pm (UTC-5)
The United States says it will not change its plans for a NATO missile defense system in Europe despite a Russian threat to take counter-measures. National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said the United States wants cooperation with Russia, but will not in any way limit or change the program. He reiterated that the system […]
Brazil Suspends Chevron’s Oil Drilling Activities
Posted November 23rd, 2011 at 6:00 pm (UTC-5)
Authorities in Brazil are suspending the oil drilling activities of U.S. energy giant Chevron following a recent oil spill off Rio de Janeiro state. The country’s National Petroleum Agency made the announcement Wednesday, saying Chevron is banned from drilling until the causes of the leak are fully known. The decision comes two days after Brazil […]
