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US Considering Medical Visit for Yemen’s Saleh

Posted December 26th, 2011 at 10:55 pm (UTC-5)
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The United States is considering whether to allow Yemen’s outgoing president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to undergo medical treatment in the U.S. for injuries sustained in an attack on his palace in June. A senior U.S. official said Monday that Mr. Saleh’s office recently requested that he be allowed to receive specialized treatment in the United […]

Tags: Posted in Middle East

Sadrists Call for New Elections in Iraq

Posted December 26th, 2011 at 9:00 pm (UTC-5)
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The Iraqi political bloc led by anti-American Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has issued a call to dissolve Iraq’s parliament and hold early elections, in a move that could escalate the country’s growing sectarian crisis. The Sadrists said Monday that new elections are the only way to resolve Iraq’s deepening political problems because the current government […]

Tags: , , Posted in Middle East

US Urges Pakistan to Share Border Post Map

Posted December 26th, 2011 at 7:25 pm (UTC-5)
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A top U.S. military official is urging Pakistan to share a map of its facilities near the Afghan border, to help prevent incidents like last month’s coalition attack that left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead. The head of U.S. Central Command, General James Mattis, said Monday that the main lesson from the incident is that the […]

Tags: , Posted in South Asia

UN Condemns Harsh Prison Sentences For Chinese Activists

Posted December 26th, 2011 at 7:00 pm (UTC-5)
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The U.N.’s top human rights official has condemned the harsh prison sentences that China has recently handed down against pro-democracy activists. A statement issued Monday in Geneva by Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, specifically mentioned prominent dissident Chen Xi, who earlier in the day received a 10-year sentence, and Chen […]

Tags: , , , Posted in East Asia Pacific

Pro-Assad Forces Kill 30 in Homs as Monitors Arrive in Syria

Posted December 26th, 2011 at 6:55 pm (UTC-5)
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Syrian security forces have intensified their attacks on the opposition protest hub of Homs, killing at least 30 people as human rights activists urged Arab League monitors to quickly visit the city. Fifty monitors and 10 other league officials arrived in Syria from Egypt Monday, to track promises by President Bashar al-Assad’s government that it […]

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Shell Says Nigerian Oil Spill Cleaned

Posted December 26th, 2011 at 5:15 pm (UTC-5)
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Royal Dutch Shell says an oil spill in the waters off Nigeria has been stopped and oil “largely dispersed” less than a week after the leak began, and before the oil reached the West African nation’s coastline. In a statement Monday, the oil giant said it will continue to monitor the area and clean up […]

Tags: , , Posted in Africa

Russia Names New GRU Chief

Posted December 26th, 2011 at 5:00 pm (UTC-5)
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The Russian Defense Ministry says a new chief has been appointed to the country’s largest spy agency, the GRU military intelligence service. Major General Igor Sergun was named head of the General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate on Monday. He replaces outgoing GRU chief Alexander Shlyakhturov, who was said to have reached retirement age. Shlyakhturov headed […]

Tags: , Posted in Europe

Freedom of Movement Begins Between Kosovo and Serbia

Posted December 26th, 2011 at 4:45 pm (UTC-5)
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For the first time since Kosovo declared its independence in 2008, its citizens are allowed to enter Serbian territory and travel freely. An accord to allow freedom of movement in Serbia to all citizens of Kosovo went into effect Monday. The agreement was reached Thursday during European Union-brokered talks between Belgrade and Pristina. Under the […]

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Japanese FM Assures Burmese Icon of Full Support for Reforms

Posted December 26th, 2011 at 3:15 pm (UTC-5)
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Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba has met with Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, seeking to assure her of Tokyo’s full support for expanded democratic governance in the Southeast Asian nation. Gemba held talks Monday with the Nobel laureate at her residence in Rangoon, and later told reporters he wants her and leaders of […]

Tags: , Posted in East Asia Pacific

Guinea Bissau Navy Chief Accused of Coup Attempt

Posted December 26th, 2011 at 2:55 pm (UTC-5)
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Guinea Bissau’s top army official says the country’s navy chief has been arrested for trying to overthrow the government. Army General Antonio Indjai says Rear-Admiral Bubo Na Tchuto tried to carry out a military coup early Monday, when rebel soldiers stormed the armed forces headquarters in the capital, Bissau. Indjai and Tchuto were often at […]

Tags: , , , , Posted in Africa