Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s ruling party has suffered surprisingly steep losses in parliamentary elections, giving the man who has dominated politics there for more than a decade a much reduced majority. With 96 percent of the vote counted, United Russia on Monday looked set to win 238 seats in the 450-seat State Duma, or […]
Majority Narrows for Putin’s Party in Russia Polls; OSCE: Violations Mar Vote
Posted December 5th, 2011 at 1:35 pm (UTC-5)
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Serbs in Kosovo Begin Dismantling Barricades
Posted December 5th, 2011 at 1:15 pm (UTC-5)
Serbs in northern Kosovo have started to remove some of the roadblocks at the center of recent violent clashes in the tense border region that have left scores of people injured and threaten Serbia’s bid for European Union membership. Local Serbs say the removal of the barricades comes after a deal was made Monday with […]
African Bloc Seeks Tougher Sanctions Against Eritrea
Posted December 5th, 2011 at 1:05 pm (UTC-5)
Members of a six-nation bloc in Eastern Africa have asked the United Nations to toughen sanctions against Eritrea. Leaders with the Intergovernmental Governmental Authority on Development, or IGAD, have told the Security Council that the world body must “act now” because the region’s stability is at stake. Government officials from Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and […]
Japan to Return Remaining Korean Royal Documents
Posted December 5th, 2011 at 12:55 pm (UTC-5)
Japan says it will give back to South Korea the remaining volumes of historical Korean royal documents looted during its early 20th century annexation of the Korean peninsula. Japanese and South Korean news reports say Tokyo will ship 1,200 volumes of royal documents to Seoul on Tuesday, as part of an ongoing commitment to improve […]
India Stocks Plunge Over Reported Delay to Retail Plan
Posted December 5th, 2011 at 12:45 pm (UTC-5)
Stocks prices for Indian retailers took a plunge amid reports the country’s ruling Congress party will delay plans to open the country’s retail sector to foreign investors. Shares in local retailers fell upwards of 10 percent in Monday’s trading as the government sought to clarify its policy on foreign direct investment. A top leader of […]
Merkel, Sarkozy Call for New EU Treaty to Solve Debt Crisis
Posted December 5th, 2011 at 12:35 pm (UTC-5)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are calling for a new European Union treaty to control spending, in an effort to end Europe’s debt crisis and save the continent’s euro currency. The two leaders said after meeting in Paris Monday they want all 27 EU nations to approve changes under which national […]
Runoff Vote in Cairo, Alexandria for Egypt’s Parliament
Posted December 5th, 2011 at 12:30 pm (UTC-5)
Voters in Egypt’s two largest cities and other areas are going to the polls in a series of runoff elections for parliament, with Islamist parties expected to build on strong results from the first round of voting last week. Runoff elections in Cairo, Alexandria and seven other provinces began Monday and end Tuesday. They will […]
Biden: US in ‘Solidarity’ With Greece as it Tackles Financial Crisis
Posted December 5th, 2011 at 11:50 am (UTC-5)
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has promised U.S. support for Greece at the start of a crucial week for the future of Europe’s debt-saddled common currency, the euro. Speaking in Athens Monday, the visiting U.S. vice president said Washington stands in solidarity with Greece as it works to meet challenging financial standards set by the […]
Ivory Coast’s Gbagbo Before International Court
Posted December 5th, 2011 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo has made his first appearance before the International Criminal Court, where he faces charges of crimes against humanity stemming from his alleged role in deadly post-election violence. Mr. Gbagbo is the first former head of state to be brought to the ICC since its inception in 2002. He was […]
At Least 16 Pilgrims Killed in Iraq Bombing
Posted December 5th, 2011 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
At least 16 people have been killed by a car bomb targeting Shi’ite pilgrims in Iraq. Monday’s bombing near Hilla, south of Baghdad also wounded more than 30 people. The attack comes at the height of the Ashura commemoration ceremonies marking the anniversary of the seventh century death of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the […]
