Iranian diplomats left Britain on Friday on a chartered plane after being expelled by the government for the attacks on the British Embassy in Tehran. The British Foreign Office said all diplomatic staff had taken off from London’s Heathrow airport Friday afternoon. The move comes after British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Wednesday that the […]
UN Human Rights Panel Condemns Syria
Posted December 2nd, 2011 at 2:40 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations top human-rights body has voted to condemn Syria for “gross” and “systematic” violations of human rights during its crackdown on protest. The resolution passed by the U.N. Human Rights Council on Friday also establishes the post of a special investigator to probe human rights abuses in Syria. However, it stops short of […]
ICC Requests Arrest Warrant for Sudanese Defense Minister
Posted December 2nd, 2011 at 2:35 pm (UTC-5)
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor has requested an arrest warrant for Sudan’s defense minister, who allegedly helped to plan atrocities in the Darfur region. Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein is accused of coordinating attacks against villages in Darfur between August 2003 and March 2004. The prosecutor’s office says the attacks followed a pattern in which the […]
German Chancellor Sees European ‘Fiscal Union’
Posted December 2nd, 2011 at 2:30 pm (UTC-5)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is calling for a European “fiscal union” with stringent spending oversight to resolve the continent’s debt crisis and save the common euro currency. Ms. Merkel told the German parliament Friday that significant European Union treaty changes need to be made to enforce spending limits throughout the 27-nation bloc, and to punish […]
Burmese Rebel Group Reported to Agree to Ceasefire
Posted December 2nd, 2011 at 1:55 pm (UTC-5)
One of the main ethnic rebel groups in Burma has reportedly agreed to a preliminary ceasefire with the government. Burmese exile websites said Friday that the Shan State Army is negotiating with the government on an agreement to stop the violence, begin political negotiations, and cooperate on fighting illegal drugs. The United States and other […]
Obama Welcomes Drop in National Unemployment
Posted December 2nd, 2011 at 1:50 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama has welcomed news that the national unemployment rate fell last month, but warned of a “significant blow” to the economy if Congress fails to extend payroll tax cuts and renew unemployment benefits. The Labor Department on Friday said the unemployment rate for November was 8.6 percent, the lowest level in more […]
Biden Urges Turkey to Toughen Sanctions on Iran
Posted December 2nd, 2011 at 12:30 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is pressing Turkey to impose new sanctions on Iran, while praising the Turkish government for pressuring Syria to stop a brutal crackdown on protesters. Biden made the comments to the Turkish daily Hurriyet on Friday. The U.S. vice president is in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, for meetings with Turkish President Abdullah […]
Suicide Attack Near Afghan-NATO Base Kills Civilian
Posted December 2nd, 2011 at 12:20 pm (UTC-5)
Afghan officials say a suicide truck bomb blast outside a NATO base has killed at least one person and wounded more than 70 others. Authorities say the truck driver was stopped Friday morning before he could enter the base in the Muhammad Agha district of Logar province. The bomber then detonated a trailer full of […]
Clinton Completes Burma Trip With Pledge of U.S. Support
Posted December 2nd, 2011 at 12:00 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has completed a three-day visit to Burma after discussions with democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and a vow that the U.S. is prepared to support further democratic reform. The two women held hands as they spoke to reporters Friday from the veranda of Aung San Suu Kyi’s home […]
A Look At The Camp Victory Complex in Iraq
Posted December 2nd, 2011 at 12:00 pm (UTC-5)
The U.S. has handed over control of Camp Victory to Iraq. Here is a look at the sprawling military complex near Baghdad that served as the hub of U.S. operations: -Camp Victory had served as the U.S. military headquarters in Iraq since 2003. -The U.S. military facilities at the site were constructed around a lavish […]
