South Korea says it is open to dialogue with its northern neighbor, but that it is also ready for a swift response to any possible hostility from North Korea. South Korea’s Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin told parliament Thursday that Seoul would take every counter-measure into consideration to ensure national security. South Korea has been scrutinizing […]
South Korea: Open for Dialogue With North, Ready for Defense
Posted December 22nd, 2011 at 5:45 pm (UTC-5)
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UN Condemns Beating of Women Protesters in Egypt
Posted December 22nd, 2011 at 5:35 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations is condemning the beatings of peaceful women protesters by Egyptian soldiers during marches this week against military rule. The U.N.’s director for gender equality, Michelle Bachelet, Thursday called on Egyptian political and military authorities to guarantee civil rights for women and hold accountable those who violate those rights. Bachelet says women have […]
South Korea: Open for Dialogue With North, Ready for Defense
Posted December 22nd, 2011 at 5:00 pm (UTC-5)
South Korea says it is open to dialogue with its northern neighbor, but that it is also ready for a swift response to any possible hostility from North Korea. South Korea’s Defense Minister Yu Woo-ik told parliament Thursday that Seoul would take every counter-measure into consideration to ensure national security. South Korea has been scrutinizing […]
Kazakh President Fires Head of Energy Giant Following Riots
Posted December 22nd, 2011 at 4:55 pm (UTC-5)
Kazakhstan’s president has announced plans to fire the head of the state energy firm, after two days of deadly rioting between police and fired oil workers. After making a brief visit to the western oil-producing Mangistau region Thursday, President Nursultan Nazarbayev said he will fire Timur Kulibayev, the president’s son-in-law and the head of the […]
US: ‘Inadequate Coordination’ Led to Pakistan Border Attack
Posted December 22nd, 2011 at 3:35 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. defense officials Thursday blamed inadequate coordination by both Pakistani and U.S.-led forces for last month’s coalition attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan. Pentagon spokesman George Little said the investigation found that U.S. forces, given the information they had available to them at the time, acted “in self-defense and with […]
US Announces $10 Million Reward for Al-Qaida Financier
Posted December 22nd, 2011 at 3:30 pm (UTC-5)
The United States has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to an al-Qaida financier who is believed to be in Iran. A State Department official, Robert Hartung, said Yasin al-Suri, also known as Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil, helped move money and recruits through Iran to al-Qaida leaders in neighboring countries. […]
Germany: Impounded Patriot Missiles Were Legitimate Shipment
Posted December 22nd, 2011 at 3:30 pm (UTC-5)
German officials say a shipment of 69 Patriot surface-to-air missiles confiscated by officials in Finland was a legitimate delivery from Germany to South Korea, but Finnish authorities say they were headed for China. Finnish authorities discovered and impounded the missiles Wednesday during a search of the cargo ship Thor Liberty in the Finnish port of […]
Blasts Kill 69 in Iraq as Political Crisis Continues
Posted December 22nd, 2011 at 3:25 pm (UTC-5)
Iraqi officials say a wave of bombings across Baghdad killed at least 69 people on Thursday and left more than 180 others wounded. The apparently coordinated blasts from car bombs, roadside bombs and sticky bombs were the country’s worst violence in months. The bombings occurred just days after U.S. troops finished their withdrawal from the […]
French Lawmakers Pass Armenia Genocide Bill
Posted December 22nd, 2011 at 3:20 pm (UTC-5)
France’s lower house of parliament Thursday overwhelmingly passed a bill making it a crime to publicly deny as genocide the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago. The Senate, or upper house, must still pass the bill for it to become law. Armenia welcomed passage of the bill, while Turkey angrily rejected […]
Portugal Sells Stake in Utility to China
Posted December 22nd, 2011 at 3:05 pm (UTC-5)
Debt-ridden Portugal is selling the one-fifth stake it owns in its national utility to a Chinese energy company. The Lisbon government said Thursday that China Three Gorges is paying $3.5 billion for Portugal’s share in the national utility, Energias de Portugal. It is the first of a number of sales of public-owned assets the government […]
