The Italian government has overwhelmingly won a crucial parliamentary vote of confidence Friday over an austerity package intended to help the third largest economy in the eurozone get its finances in order. The lower house of parliament voted 495-88 in favor of a nearly $40 billion austerity package Friday, with the upper house voting next […]
Italian Parliament Approves Latest Austerity Plan
Posted December 16th, 2011 at 12:05 pm (UTC-5)
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African Regional Bloc Backs Kabila Re-Election in Disputed Poll
Posted December 16th, 2011 at 11:55 am (UTC-5)
Leaders from Africa’s Great Lakes region have welcomed the re-election of Congolese President Joseph Kabila in a disputed poll. The 11-member International Conference on the Great Lakes Region issued a statement Friday congratulating Mr. Kabila on his win. The bloc also urged opposition parties who have challenged the results to accept them and work toward […]
Rights Group Calls on EU to Pressure Ukraine
Posted December 16th, 2011 at 11:50 am (UTC-5)
A rights group wants European Union leaders to call attention to what it calls “endemic abuse” by Ukraine’s police force at an upcoming summit. Amnesty International issued the plea Friday, ahead of a December 19 summit between the EU and Ukraine in Kyiv. In a statement, Amnesty International’s Heather McGill called abuses by Ukraine’s police […]
Sri Lankan Ex-Army Chief’s Conviction Upheld
Posted December 16th, 2011 at 11:50 am (UTC-5)
A Sri Lankan court has rejected an appeal by the country’s former army chief and opposition leader. The unanimous decision Friday upholds Sarath Fonseka’s conviction and 30-month prison sentence for arms procurement offenses. The former general is also serving a three-year sentence for making false allegations about the defense secretary in a 2009 newspaper interview, […]
US Republicans Hold Final Debate before Iowa Caucus
Posted December 16th, 2011 at 11:30 am (UTC-5)
U.S. Republican presidential hopefuls debated Thursday in the politically influential midwestern state of Iowa, where the national nominating process begins in less than three weeks. Republican contenders used much of the two-hour debate to criticize Newt Gingrich, who has emerged as the front-runner heading into the final stretch of the primary campaign. The former speaker […]
Hundreds of Thousands Rally in Syria, Four Reported Dead
Posted December 16th, 2011 at 11:25 am (UTC-5)
Activists say Syrian security forces killed four people on Friday as more than 200,000 protesters rallied against President Bashar al-Assad’s government. At least one death reportedly took place in the flashpoint Homs region, where a huge crowd gathered to voice opposition to the Arab League’s decision to postpone an emergency meeting on Syria that was […]
Russia Seizes Iran-Bound Radioactive Material
Posted December 16th, 2011 at 11:25 am (UTC-5)
Russian authorities say they have seized radioactive material at a Moscow airport from the luggage of a passenger traveling to Iran. The Customs Service issued a statement saying the radioactive isotope Sodium 22 was seized Friday at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport. The agency said the discovery involved 18 pieces of radioactive metal that triggered airport […]
Kazakh Independence Ceremony Turns Deadly
Posted December 16th, 2011 at 11:20 am (UTC-5)
Independence day celebrations in Kazakhstan have been marred by violence, with clashes that killed at least ten people. The fighting broke out Friday in the western Kazakh city of Zhanaozen, where oil workers — including some fired from their jobs — have been demanding better wages. Kazakhstan Prosecutor General Ashkat Daulbayev told reporters Friday that […]
Japan Declares Stricken Nuclear Plant Stable
Posted December 16th, 2011 at 11:00 am (UTC-5)
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda says the nuclear plant crippled by the March 11 tsunami has reached a state of “cold shutdown”, in a major step in efforts to bring Japan’s worst nuclear disaster under control. Mr. Noda made the announcement about the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant on Friday, saying the crisis that began nine […]
Pakistan Army Chief: Memo Scandal an Attempt to Lower Morale
Posted December 16th, 2011 at 10:50 am (UTC-5)
Pakistan’s army chief says a recent memo that accused the military of plotting to overthrow the president was an attempt to lower the military’s morale. In a statement filed with Pakistan’s supreme court, General Ashfaq Kayani said the memo had “impacted national security.” He called on the court to fully investigate the circumstances surrounding the […]
