Arab League foreign ministers are meeting in Cairo to consider further measures against a Syrian regime that seems intent on continuing its bloody crackdown against anti-government protesters. The ministers said options under discussion at Thursday’s meeting include economic sanctions and a travel ban on Syrian officials. They may also consider a proposal floated Thursday by […]
Blast Kills Kenyan Soldier Near Somali Border
Posted November 24th, 2011 at 8:20 am (UTC-5)
The Kenyan military says one soldier was killed and several others wounded Thursday when their truck drove over an explosive device, near Kenya’s borders with Somalia and Ethiopia. A statement from spokesman Emmanuel Chirchir said the explosion happened as the soldiers were on patrol in the town of Mandera. He said five seriously wounded soldiers […]
Two Strong Earthquakes Shake Japan, Cause No Reported Damage
Posted November 24th, 2011 at 8:15 am (UTC-5)
Two strong earthquakes shook northern Japan Thursday, but neither caused any apparent damage or prompted a tsunami warning. Japan’s Meteorological Agency said a magnitude 6.1 undersea quake struck Thursday evening about 750 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, near Hokkaido island. A magnitude 6.0 undersea quake struck early Thursday morning, 244 kilometers northeast of Tokyo. The Japanese […]
Sri Lanka Tallying Civilian Deaths From Civil War
Posted November 24th, 2011 at 7:50 am (UTC-5)
Sri Lanka’s defense secretary says the government is counting how many civilians were killed in the final months of the country’s civil war, but that the number of dead will be far too small to constitute war crimes by the Sri Lankan military. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa made the announcement Thursday, after the government acknowledged for the […]
Belarus Human Rights Activist Sentenced for Tax Evasion
Posted November 24th, 2011 at 7:15 am (UTC-5)
A court in Belarus on Thursday sentenced a prominent human rights activist to four and a half years in jail for tax evasion. Ales Belyatsky heads a group called Vesna, which provides legal and financial help to opposition activists arrested following protests after the disputed 2010 presidential election. Belyatsky says his arrest is politically motivated […]
China Defends Naval Drills in Western Pacific
Posted November 24th, 2011 at 7:10 am (UTC-5)
Chinese state media say a planned naval exercise that is causing concern in Japan is not related to recent maritime tensions in the Pacific region. Japan’s defense ministry reported Wednesday that six Chinese naval vessels have crossed between two of its islands into the western Pacific Ocean. The NHK television network said one of the […]
Portuguese Protest Strike Disrupts Rail Service, Flights Cancelled
Posted November 24th, 2011 at 6:40 am (UTC-5)
Rail service was disrupted and dozen of flights cancelled in Portugal on Thursday as union workers staged a nationwide day-long strike to protest austerity measures adopted in return for an international bailout. The country’s two largest trade unions representing more than 1 million workers planned to hold more than 30 marches. The strike was also […]
5 Protesters Dead as Peace Eludes Yemen
Posted November 24th, 2011 at 6:25 am (UTC-5)
At least five anti-government protesters are dead in renewed violence in Yemen. Witnesses say gunmen loyal to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh opened fire on protesters who were upset over a power transfer deal that gives Mr. Saleh immunity from prosecution. The shooting in the capital Sanaa comes less than a day after Mr. Saleh […]
Eleven Kenyan Soldiers Wounded In Truck Blast Near Somalia
Posted November 24th, 2011 at 6:00 am (UTC-5)
Officials and local media say eleven Kenyan soldiers were wounded early Thursday when an explosive device went off under their truck as they patrolled an area near Kenya’s borders with Somalia and Ethiopia. There are no immediate reports of fatalities in the attack, which took place near the town of Mandera. Authorities suspect the improvised […]
UN Rights Monitor Seeks Faster Progress in Cambodia
Posted November 24th, 2011 at 5:15 am (UTC-5)
A United Nations expert says Cambodia is making progress in respecting the human rights of its citizens but much more work remains to be done. U.N. Special Rapporteur Surya Subedi also called in an interview for the Cambodian government to avoid interference in the work of an international tribunal that is prosecuting former leaders of […]
