Mass protests erupted in Syria Friday as activists say Syrian forces killed at least 10 people after tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators turned out across the country. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the civilians were killed when forces opened fire in the Daraa and Hama regions. The group also says about two […]
Syria’s Unrest Spreads in Mass Protests, At Least 14 Killed
Posted December 30th, 2011 at 11:00 am (UTC-5)
Leave a comment
Burma Sets By-Election for April 1, Aung San Suu Kyi Expected to Run
Posted December 30th, 2011 at 10:45 am (UTC-5)
Burma is set to hold a by-election April 1 in a vote in that will test democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party. Burmese government officials, who asked not to be named, informed media organizations of the election date Friday. Forty-eight parliamentary seats will be at stake. The officials said parties […]
Samoa and Tokelau Cross International Date Line
Posted December 30th, 2011 at 10:30 am (UTC-5)
The tiny Pacific island nation of Samoa and nearby atolls of New Zealand-administered Tokelau have changed time zones to align themselves with their trading partners in the region. At the stroke of midnight , the islands reversed a 120-year-old policy of being east of the International Date Line, to being west of the line. For […]
Iran to Test Fire Long Range Missiles in Weekend Drill
Posted December 30th, 2011 at 10:15 am (UTC-5)
Iran says it will fire long-range missiles on Saturday as part of military exercises in the Gulf. The announcement on Friday was made on the heels of heightened tensions between Iran and Western powers over Tehran’s threat to block oil shipments through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The semi-official Fars News agency quotes an Iranian […]
9 Killed in Syria, Forces Fire Nail Bombs at Protesters
Posted December 30th, 2011 at 9:20 am (UTC-5)
Activists say Syrian forces have used nail bombs on protesters who took to the streets Friday, a day after Arab League peace monitors visited several flashpoint cities. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the ammunition was used to disperse thousands of demonstrators in the Damascus suburb of Douma. It says some protesters retaliated by […]
North Korea Warns No Policy Changes Under New Leader
Posted December 30th, 2011 at 9:00 am (UTC-5)
North Korea warned rival South Korea and the rest of the world Friday that there would be no policy changes under new ruler Kim Jong Un. A day after Pyongyang ended official mourning for longtime ruler Kim Jong Il, the North’s powerful National Defense Commission sent a tough message to what it called “foolish politicians […]
Samoa and Tokelau Cross International Date Line
Posted December 30th, 2011 at 8:45 am (UTC-5)
The tiny Pacific island nation of Samoa and nearby atolls of New Zealand-administered Tokelau are skipping Friday this year and moving from Thursday straight to Saturday to align themselves with their trading partners in the region. At the stroke of midnight , the islands reverse a 120-year-old policy of being east of the International Date […]
Russian Nuclear Submarine Fire is Extinguished
Posted December 30th, 2011 at 8:15 am (UTC-5)
Officials say firefighters have finally put out a blaze aboard a nuclear submarine docked in northern Russia, and that there has been no radiation leak. Authorities said Friday an undisclosed number of crew members monitoring temperatures and carbon dioxide levels inside the Yekaterinburg nuclear submarine were not in danger. At least seven people, including firefighters, […]
Egypt Rights Groups Denounce ‘Unprecedented’ Raids on NGO Offices
Posted December 30th, 2011 at 8:15 am (UTC-5)
A group of Egyptian human rights organizations has accused the country’s ruling military council of attempting to “take revenge” against pro-democracy groups by raiding their offices. Egyptian security forces stormed 17 offices of human rights groups Thursday as part of an investigation military rulers say will reveal how foreign funding has fomented the country’s ongoing […]
North Korea Warns No Policy Changes Under New Leader
Posted December 30th, 2011 at 8:05 am (UTC-5)
North Korea warned rival South Korea and the rest of the world Friday that there would be no policy changes under new ruler Kim Jong Un. A day after Pyongyang ended official mourning for longtime ruler Kim Jong Il, the North’s powerful National Defense Commission sent a tough message to what it called “foolish politicians […]
