Syrian activists urged protesters to take to the streets across the country Friday, as the presence of Arab League monitors emboldened efforts to force President Bashar al-Assad from power despite a continued crackdown on dissent. Anti-Assad organizers say they have little hope foreign observers will protect them but they still aimed to bring people into […]
Syrians Plan Friday Protests as Monitors Energize Movement
Posted December 29th, 2011 at 11:20 pm (UTC-5)
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Prominent South Korean Democracy Activist Dies
Posted December 29th, 2011 at 10:50 pm (UTC-5)
South Korean news media report that a former leading South Korean democracy activist and prominent liberal politician, Kim Geun-tae, has died. Reports say Kim died Friday from a brain disease at the age of 64. Kim was known as a democracy activist during dictatorships of the 1970s and 1980s. He was repeatedly jailed and tortured […]
Nigeria’s President Meets With Security Chiefs On Curbing Violence
Posted December 29th, 2011 at 10:25 pm (UTC-5)
Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has summoned his security chiefs for an emergency meeting to discuss growing violence blamed on radical Islamists. At the meeting Thursday in Abuja, the president urged security chiefs to go after the sponsors of radical groups, rather than those who only obey their command. The meeting Thursday in the capital Abuja […]
India’s Upper House Fails to Vote on Anti-Corruption Bill
Posted December 29th, 2011 at 9:35 pm (UTC-5)
India’s upper house of parliament broke for recess Thursday without voting on an anti-corruption bill before a deadline set by activist Anna Hazare, who has led a campaign for the measure using hunger strikes. The lower house approved the so-called “Lokpal” bill earlier this week following hours of heated debate and a staunch defense of […]
Two Aid Workers Shot Dead in Somali Capital
Posted December 29th, 2011 at 8:00 pm (UTC-5)
A disgruntled former employee has killed at least two foreign aid workers in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Officials say the shooting occurred Thursday at the offices of the aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF). One person was killed on the spot and the other died later in the hospital. The Doctors Without Borders issued a […]
US Republicans Campaign Ahead of Iowa Caucuses
Posted December 29th, 2011 at 7:40 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Republican presidential hopefuls are busy campaigning in Iowa Thursday, five days before the first nominating contest of the 2012 presidential campaign. The candidates are filling the next several days with visits to local pizza joints, breakfast spots, and bars, rallies and town halls, and in between, speeding around the central U.S. state to their […]
South Sudan Accuses Sudan of Killing 17 Civilians
Posted December 29th, 2011 at 7:30 pm (UTC-5)
South Sudan’s military says Sudanese forces killed 17 civilians from the south during the second day of airstrikes Thursday in a disputed border area. A South Sudan military spokesman said the people killed in the Western Bahr al-Ghazal state were cattle herders. Officials in Khartoum deny the accusation. In a separate statement, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry […]
US Immigration Agency Creates Detainee Hotline
Posted December 29th, 2011 at 6:35 pm (UTC-5)
The United States has created a new hotline for people arrested for immigration violations to help ensure their rights are protected. The Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency said Thursday the hotline is for people who believe they are “U.S. citizens or victims of a crime.” The announcement comes amid increasing reports of U.S. citizens being […]
Xinhua Lists Arab Uprisings as Top World News Event of 2011
Posted December 29th, 2011 at 6:10 pm (UTC-5)
China’s official Xinhua news agency is listing the Arab Spring uprisings as the top news event of 2011, closely followed by China’s rise to become the world’s second-largest economy. Xinhua published its choices on its website Thursday in a year-end roundup of the top 10 news events of the past 12 months. Economic issues figured […]
Ivory Seizures Reach Record Highs in 2011
Posted December 29th, 2011 at 4:15 pm (UTC-5)
A wildlife conservation group says large scale ivory seizures reached record highs in 2011 making it one of the worst years ever for elephants. TRAFFIC, a group that tracks wildlife trading, says there were 13 large seizures this year totaling about 1,000 kilograms. The amount, which is more than double 2010’s total, represents about 2,500 […]
