The U.S.-led war in Iraq is officially over, marked by a solemn and symbolic ceremony at a military post just outside Washington. U.S. President Barack Obama and other top officials welcomed home the top U.S. commander in Iraq, General Loyd Austin, along with the flag representing U.S. forces in Iraq. President Obama was not expected […]
DRC President Pledges Unity Following Disputed Election
Posted December 20th, 2011 at 2:10 pm (UTC-5)
Newly inaugurated Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has pledged to unify his country, even though opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi argues he is his country’s rightful leader. Mr. Kabila took the oath of office Tuesday in Kinshasa, following last month’s election that international observers say had many irregularities, during voting and counting. ”On November […]
Iraq’s VP Denies Terrorism Charges, Blames Government
Posted December 20th, 2011 at 2:00 pm (UTC-5)
Iraq’s Sunni Muslim vice president, Tariq al-Hashemi, has denied charges that he was behind an alleged plot to kill other government officials. He says charges brought against him by Iraq’s Shi’ite-led government are politically motivated. He commented from the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq on Tuesday, a day after Iraq’s central government issued a warrant […]
New Public Protests Rock Coastal China
Posted December 20th, 2011 at 1:40 pm (UTC-5)
Thousands of protesters in a fishing town in coastal China blocked an expressway Tuesday, in a tense standoff with riot police over pollution from a planned coal-fired power plant. Witnesses in the Guangdong provincial town of Haimen say riot police used tear gas to disperse the angry crowds gathered near government buildings. The Associated Press […]
More Clashes in Cairo: Protest Death Toll Rises to 14
Posted December 20th, 2011 at 1:05 pm (UTC-5)
Egyptian security forces have clashed with stone-throwing protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square for a fifth day. Medical officials say at least two people were killed on Tuesday after security forces launched a new raid on the square, raising the death toll from five days of unrest to at least 14. Security forces have been trying […]
More Clashes in Cairo: Protest Death Toll Rises to 14
Posted December 20th, 2011 at 12:30 pm (UTC-5)
Egyptian security forces have clashed with stone-throwing protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square for a fifth day. Medical officials say at least two people were killed on Tuesday after security forces launched a new raid on the square, raising the death toll from five days of unrest to at least 14. Security forces have been trying […]
DRC President Pledges Unity Following Disputed Election
Posted December 20th, 2011 at 12:30 pm (UTC-5)
Newly inaugurated Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has pledged to unify his country, even though opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi argues he is his country’s rightful leader. Mr. Kabila took the oath Tuesday in Kinshasa, following last month’s election that international observers say had many irregularities, during voting and counting. U.S. officials also have […]
European Court Orders Russia to Pay Victims of 2002 Theater Siege
Posted December 20th, 2011 at 11:50 am (UTC-5)
The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Russia to pay more than $1.3 million to victims of the government’s mishandled attempt to end the siege of a Moscow theater in 2002. The Strasbourg-based court ruled Tuesday that Russia had violated the European Convention on Human Rights by a lack of planning and poor execution […]
Syrian Activists Report More Killings as Arab League Readies Observers
Posted December 20th, 2011 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
Syrian activists say fighting Tuesday between Syrian government troops and army defectors has killed or wounded at least 100 deserters, as the Arab League prepares to send observers to monitor its plan to end Syria’s months of violence. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights quotes witnesses who say troops besieged a group of deserters following […]
US Housing Construction Reaches 19-month High
Posted December 20th, 2011 at 10:55 am (UTC-5)
The U.S. government says that housing construction advanced in November to a 19-month high, but the number of homes being built was still sharply lower than what economists consider a healthy pace. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that housing starts increased more than 9 percent from October to an annual rate of 685,000 units. That […]
