Southern Chinese officials have given into the demands of protesting villagers in southern China in a rare agreement to release several detained village leaders. Protest leaders in Wukan, in the southern Guangdong province, say a senior provincial official told them in a meeting Wednesday that three detained village leaders will be released in the coming […]
Chinese Villagers Win Rare Compromise In Standoff Against Provincial Government
Activists Say Syrian Troops Kill More Than 100 Civilians
Syrian rights activists say government troops killed more than 100 civilians and dozens of army defectors Tuesday, in one of the deadliest days since an anti-government uprising began in March. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Wednesday that government troops killed 111 people after surrounding civilians in Kafruwed, a village in the northwestern […]
President and Republicans Deadlocked Over Tax Cuts
Millions of Americans could see their taxes go up while others could soon lose their unemployment insurance because of political gridlock in Washington. The U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday side-stepped a vote on a bill to temporarily extend a payroll tax cut, calling instead for a new round of negotiations on a full-year extension. Republican […]
Voting in Egypt Continues AfterViolence
Voters in nine Egyptian provinces have begun voting in runoff elections in the country’s multi-stage parliamentary poll, which comes after days of deadly clashes between protesters and security forces in the capital. The voting Wednesday is taking place in mostly rural areas to decide contests in which there was no absolute winner in elections held […]
Afghan Police Thwart Suicide Bombing
Afghan police say they have shot and killed an attempted suicide bomber before he could detonate his explosives in the eastern province of Khost. Wednesday’s incident happened outside a bank in Khost city, near the Pakistani border. It is not immediately clear whether the would-be suicide bomber was targeting the bank or a nearby police […]
Explosion Kills One, Wounds Another in Burma
An explosion near a busy intersection in Burma’s commercial hub and former capital, Rangoon, has killed one person and wounded at least one other. Police say the blast occurred on Wednesday near a public toilet, killing one woman. Police have cleared the area and are investigating the incident. Explosions are not uncommon in Burma. The […]
Death Toll From Philippine Floods Tops 1,000
Officials in the Philippines say more than 1,000 people died in last week’s massive flooding in the southern part of the country, and they expect the number to keep rising. The head of the Office of Civil Defense said on Wednesday that rescuers have recovered 1,002 bodies and that many are still missing. A tropical […]
Olympus Headquarters Raided
Japanese prosecutors raided the headquarters of disgraced Japanese electronics manufacturer Olympus as part of an ongoing investigation into a massive accounting scandal. National television showed on Wednesday dark-suited investigators marching into the Tokyo office building of the camera and medical equipment maker. The company confirmed the raid. Japanese media also reported that the homes of […]
Chinese Protesters Put Off March As Talks Progress
Residents of a Chinese village in revolt against local authorities have postponed a march scheduled for Wednesday to allow time for talks with provincial officials. Residents of Wukan, in the southern province of Guangdong, said on Wednesday that the rally will be put off until members of the fishing village meet with a provincial Communist […]