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Diplomats Call Syrian Toll Increase ‘Distressing’

Posted December 12th, 2011 at 10:45 pm (UTC-5)
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Several U.N. Security Council members are expressing distress after the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights informed them at a meeting that the death toll from unrest in Syria has surpassed 5,000. The U.S. deputy permanent representative, Rosemary DiCarlo, said the human rights crisis in Syria is a threat to international peace and security. She […]

Tags: , Posted in Middle East

Gilani: Blockade of NATO Convoys Likely to Last Weeks

Posted December 12th, 2011 at 9:15 pm (UTC-5)
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Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani says his country likely will continue to block NATO convoys into Afghanistan for several more weeks. In an interview with the BBC, Mr. Gilani also did not rule out closing Pakistan’s airspace to the United States. The supply routes were shut down following a November 26 NATO airstrike in […]

Tags: , , Posted in South Asia

Georgian Billionaire Sues Government, Launches Opposition Movement

Posted December 12th, 2011 at 8:15 pm (UTC-5)
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Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili is suing the government in Tbilisi for revoking his citizenship after authorities learned in October that he also was a French national. A court in Tbilisi held a hearing Monday in Ivanishvili’s case, but his lawyers said their motion — asking the court to replace the presiding judge — has been […]

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Syria Crackdown Death Toll Approaches 5,000: UN

Posted December 12th, 2011 at 7:45 pm (UTC-5)
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The United Nations says the death toll from Syria’s unrest has gone beyond 5,000. U.N. rights chief Navi Pillay said her office has received credible reports from a variety of sources that indicate the death toll since Syria’s unrest began in March “probably exceeds 5,000.” She released the statement shortly after a meeting Monday with […]

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US Calls on Iran to Return Downed Drone

Posted December 12th, 2011 at 7:15 pm (UTC-5)
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The Obama administration has made a formal request to Iran for the return of a U.S. surveillance aircraft that went down in Iranian territory earlier this month. President Barack Obama, in a session with reporters Monday, refused to comment on what he termed “intelligence matters that are classified.” But news reports say the aircraft with […]

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Amnesty International: Saudi Beheading for Sorcery ‘Appalling’

Posted December 12th, 2011 at 6:55 pm (UTC-5)
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Amnesty International says Saudi Arabia has beheaded a woman convicted of “witchcraft and sorcery.” The U.S.-based rights group says Saudi national Amina bin Salem Nasser was executed Monday in the northern province of al-Jawf. Amnesty International called the beheading “deeply shocking” and it urged Saudi Arabia to halt all beheadings in the kingdom. The group’s […]

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British Foreign Secretary to Visit Burma

Posted December 12th, 2011 at 6:25 pm (UTC-5)
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Britain’s foreign secretary says he will visit Burma in early January, following a landmark trip to that Southeast Asian nation by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. William Hague made the announcement Monday during a news conference with Clinton in Washington. He said Britain welcomes Clinton’s visit, adding that the two countries share a common […]

Tags: , Posted in East Asia Pacific

Russia’s Prokhorov Announces Run for President

Posted December 12th, 2011 at 6:05 pm (UTC-5)
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Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov on Monday announced his bid to run against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in a presidential election next March. Prokhorov, the billionaire bachelor and Russia’s third richest man, told a news conference in Moscow his decision to compete in the election is the most important of his life. A few blocks away, […]

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Syria Crackdown Death Toll Surpasses 5,000: Diplomats

Posted December 12th, 2011 at 5:40 pm (UTC-5)
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Syrians voted Monday in municipal elections held amid a general strike and an escalating crackdown on anti-government protesters, as diplomats in New York said the death toll from Syria’s unrest has gone beyond 5,000. Diplomats speaking after a meeting with U.N. rights chief Navi Pillay said she told U.N. Security Council representatives Monday that the […]

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British PM Defends Veto of EU Treaty Changes

Posted December 12th, 2011 at 5:25 pm (UTC-5)
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British Prime Minister David Cameron has defended his decision to block European Union treaty changes aimed at protecting the euro currency. Mr. Cameron told the British parliament Monday that the EU deal, which other members plan to go forward with outside EU auspices, would have damaged Britain’s key financial services industry. He said he went […]

Tags: , Posted in Europe