Britain wants to further isolate Iran’s financial sector, accusing Tehran of suppressing human rights within its own borders and helping to suppress human rights in Syria. British Foreign Secretary William Hague Thursday accused Iran of helping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad suppress anti-government protesters. Speaking outside a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels, Hague […]
Britain Ratcheting Up the Pressure on Iran
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 6:30 am (UTC-5)
Leave a comment
Despite Efforts to Curb Graft, China’s Image Still Tarnished By Corruption
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 6:20 am (UTC-5)
An index of global perceptions of corruption indicates China is still viewed as corrupt despite efforts to curb official graft. The Berlin-based group Transparency International scored 183 countries on a 10-point scale, with zero being very corrupt and 10 being the least corrupt. China ranked 75th on the corruption index, scoring 3.6 on the ten-point […]
New, Deadly Attacks Rattle Iraqi Province
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 6:05 am (UTC-5)
Iraqi militants are making their presence felt in the country’s northeast, killing at least 17 people in two separate attacks. Officials in Diyala province say a car bomb went off early Thursday as shoppers were starting to arrive at a market in the town of Khalis, 80 kilometers north of Baghdad. The blast killed 10 […]
Asian Stocks Surge After Global Central Bank Action
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 5:25 am (UTC-5)
Stock markets in Asia soared Thursday, continuing a global rally after the world’s major central banks took coordinated steps to support Europe’s troubled economy. Shares in Japan’s Nikkei average closed up nearly two percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Sang Index surged more than 5.5 percent. Those followed gains Wednesday of more than three percent at […]
On World AIDS Day, UN Urges Continued Support for Initiatives
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 4:35 am (UTC-5)
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says the world is finally in a position to eradicate AIDS, but says funding will be critical to future progress in fighting the epidemic. In a statement to commemorate World AIDS Day on Thursday, Mr. Ban urged international donors to meet the estimated $24 billion needed annually to fully […]
Yemeni Government Forces Shell Taiz
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 4:25 am (UTC-5)
Shells and mortar fire rained down on the Yemeni city of Taiz on Thursday, killing five people and wounding at least 20. Residents of several Taiz neighborhoods said government forces launched the attack early in the day. Medical officials confirmed the death toll and said some of those wounded were in critical condition. Taiz residents […]
Greece Set for Day-Long Anti-Austerity Strike Thursday
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 3:35 am (UTC-5)
A 24-hour anti-austerity strike in Greece Thursday is expected to disrupt public transportation, close schools,and reduce staffing at hospitals. The strike, which will include protest rallies by unions in the capital, Athens, represents the first challenge for the three-week-old coalition government of new Prime Minister Lucas Papademos. Late Wednesday, Mr. Papademos’ staff released a letter […]
Gambian Emerges as Frontrunner for ICC Chief Prosecutor
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 2:50 am (UTC-5)
Fatou Bensouda of Gambia has emerged as the leading candidate to become the next chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court. The 50-year-old Bensouda is the deputy to the ICC’s current chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, whose nine-year term ends in June. Bensouda has previously served as an adviser and trial attorney at the ICC Tribunal […]
Study Shows Gains in Afghan Health
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 2:35 am (UTC-5)
A new survey says health care has improved in Afghanistan, helping more women survive childbirth and leading to fewer infant deaths. Afghanistan’s health ministry says data from more than 22,000 households shows the number of women dying from pregnancy-related causes is at its lowest point in seven years, while adults in general are living longer. […]
Atambayev Inaugurated as Kyrgyzstan’s President
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 1:40 am (UTC-5)
Kyrgyzstan President-elect Almazbek Atambayev has been sworn into office in the capital, Bishkek. Mr. Atambayev’s inauguration marks the first peaceful transition of power in Kyrgyzstan since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Atambayev, a former Kyrgyz prime minister, won the presidency by capturing 62 percent of the vote in an October 30 election. Under the […]
