Showing Archived Posts

Pakistan’s President Discharged from Hospital

Posted December 14th, 2011 at 11:45 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari was discharged from a Dubai hospital late Wednesday and is said to be resting at his residence in the United Arab Emirates. The president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said all medical tests showed results in the “normal range” and that doctors advised Mr. Zardari to remain in the Gulf emirate and […]

Tags: , , , Posted in South Asia

House Lawmakers Pass Defense Bill

Posted December 14th, 2011 at 9:35 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a $662-billion defense bill that contains a provision regarding the handling of certain terror suspects. By a margin of 283 to 136, lawmakers Wednesday approved the measure after the White House dropped a veto threat over the provision. The bill is expected to pass the Senate and then […]

Tags: , , Posted in US

Russian Reporters Sign Open Letter Against Firing of Kommersant Journalists

Posted December 14th, 2011 at 7:55 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

At least 50 journalists from a Russian publisher have signed an open letter complaining they are being prevented from publishing critical statements about Prime Minister Vladimir Putin after two of their colleagues were fired. An editor and senior manager of Kommersant Publishing were fired on Tuesday in connection with what the owner, Alisher Usmanov, has […]

Tags: , , , Posted in Europe

Hamas Marks 24th Anniversary with Gaza Rally

Posted December 14th, 2011 at 7:45 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

The Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement on Wednesday marked its 24th anniversary with a rally in the Gaza Strip attended by tens of thousands of the group’s supporters. Addressing the rally, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh vowed to continue the resistance until the end of Israel’s occupation. He told the crowd “Resistance is the way and […]

Tags: , Posted in Middle East

Google Donating $11.5 Million to Fight Modern-Day Slavery

Posted December 14th, 2011 at 7:20 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

Technology giant Google says it is donating $11.5 million to several coalitions fighting to end the modern-day slavery of some 27 million people around the world. The donation is believed to be one of the largest corporate initiatives ever to fight slavery. A Google official Wednesday said the company chose organizations with proven track records […]

Tags: , Posted in US

Islamists Look to Extend Lead in Egypt Voting

Posted December 14th, 2011 at 7:10 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

Egyptians turned out in large numbers Wednesday for a second phase of parliamentary elections, with Islamist parties looking to extend their already overwhelming electoral gains. Polls were held in nine areas, including Aswan, Beni Suef, Giza, Ismailia, Suez and Sohag. Nearly 19 million Egyptians were eligible to cast ballots in the second round of the […]

Tags: , , , Posted in Middle East

U.S. Calls DRC Vote “Seriously Flawed”

Posted December 14th, 2011 at 7:05 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

The United States says the recent presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo was “seriously flawed.” In a statement Wednesday, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. assessment is based on reports from observation teams fielded by the U.S. and other embassies, as well as by independent election monitoring groups. Nuland said it […]

Tags: , Posted in Africa

Russian Reporters Sign Open Letter Against Firing of Kommersant Journalists

Posted December 14th, 2011 at 6:45 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

At least 50 journalists from a Russian publisher have signed an open letter complaining they are being prevented from publishing critical statements about Prime Minister Vladimir Putin after two of their colleagues were fired. An editor and senior manager of Kommersant Publishing were fired on Tuesday in connection with what the owner, Alisher Usmanov, has […]

Tags: , , , Posted in Europe

Panetta: US Winning Afghan War

Posted December 14th, 2011 at 6:05 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday the United States and its allies are winning the 10-year-old war against what he calls a “very tough” Taliban-led insurgency. Speaking to U.S. troops in eastern Afghanistan, Panetta said the soldiers’ sacrifices are “paying off,” with insurgent violence declining to its lowest level in five years, despite recent […]

Tags: , , Posted in South Asia

Mental Health Hearing for Accused White House Shooter Set for Friday

Posted December 14th, 2011 at 5:40 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

A U.S. federal judge has scheduled a hearing to assess the mental capacity of a man charged with firing shots at the White House in an apparent attempt to assassinate President Barack Obama. The judge Wednesday ordered the December 16 hearing in the case of Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez to further determine the state of his […]

Tags: , , , Posted in US