U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is expected to announce a plan to end the Pentagon’s strategy of maintaining a force capable of fighting two wars at once. The end to a decades-old policy, expected to be unveiled Thursday in Washington, is part of a strategic review that Panetta had ordered to find ways to […]
US Defense Cuts May Force Pentagon Strategy Shift
Posted January 4th, 2012 at 1:35 pm (UTC-5)
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Auto Sales Rise
Posted January 4th, 2012 at 1:30 pm (UTC-5)
U.S.-based automakers say their sales rose sharply in 2011 as consumers gained confidence, interest rates stayed low, and consumers replaced aging vehicles they held onto during the recession. General Motors says its sales rose 13 percent, as customers bought 2.5 million of its vehicles. Rival Ford posted an 11 percent gain, and sold just over […]
20 Somali Migrants Found Dead in Tanzania
Posted January 4th, 2012 at 1:30 pm (UTC-5)
Police in Tanzania say 20 Somali migrants suffocated to death during an attempt to smuggle them through the country. They say the bodies of 17 men and three women were found along roads in Tanzania’s Morogoro region between December 26 and New Year’s Day. Police say smugglers likely dumped the bodies one by one after […]
Romney Wins Iowa, Bachmann Ends Presidential Campaign
Posted January 4th, 2012 at 1:20 pm (UTC-5)
Michele Bachmann, a congresswoman from Minnesota, has ended her U.S. presidential campaign, hours after placing sixth in the Iowa Republican Party caucuses. Bachmann became the first candidate to withdraw this year from the race for the Republican presidential nomination. However, Texas Governor Rick Perry vowed to continue his campaign, despite a fifth-place finish. He told […]
Finland to Release Seized Missiles
Posted January 4th, 2012 at 1:10 pm (UTC-5)
Finland has granted the release of 69 Patriot missiles seized last month from a ship on the way to South Korea from Germany. The Finnish government made the announcement Wednesday, but it was not clear when the missiles would be released. The ship Thor Liberty docked in the Finnish port of Kotka in December with […]
US Catholic Bishop Resigns Over Secret Family
Posted January 4th, 2012 at 1:05 pm (UTC-5)
An assistant bishop of the Roman Catholic Church has resigned in California, after revealing that he has a family, including two teenage children, living in another state. The Vatican announced Wednesday that Pope Benedict has accepted the resignation of Gabino Zavala, who had been serving in Los Angeles. The Roman Catholic Church requires that its […]
Former Czech President Havel’s Ashes Placed in Family Tomb
Posted January 4th, 2012 at 12:50 pm (UTC-5)
The family of former Czech president Vaclav Havel has buried his ashes in a family plot at a Prague cemetery. Havel’s widow Dagmar placed the urn containing his remains in a tomb Wednesday, on the 15th anniversary of their marriage. Havel was laid to rest beside his first wife, Olga, who died in 1996. The […]
Bachmann Drops Out of Republican Presidential Race
Posted January 4th, 2012 at 12:45 pm (UTC-5)
Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination after a poor showing in the first nominating contest in Iowa. Announcing the end of her candidacy Wednesday, she said she will continue to be a “strong voice” and fight for the country and the “freedom” of the American people. […]
Michele Bachmann: Rose to Popularity in Tea Party Movement
Posted January 4th, 2012 at 12:35 pm (UTC-5)
Before dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann capitalized on support from the conservative Tea Party movement. Bachmann helped found the Tea Party caucus in the House of Representatives. In August, she became the first woman to win the Iowa straw poll, a non-binding early test of popularity […]
US Treasury Chief to Hold Economic Talks with China, Japan
Posted January 4th, 2012 at 12:30 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is planning to meet with Chinese and Japanese leaders next week about the global economy, as well as seek ways to increase financial pressure on Iran to thwart its nuclear development program. The Treasury department said Wednesday that Geithner would travel to Beijing next Tuesday for a meeting with Chinese […]
