An Iranian court has sentenced an American man to death on charges of spying for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said Monday the judgment against Amir Mirzaei Hekmati was for CIA ties and for cooperating with a “hostile country.” The U.S. State Department has previously demanded his release, saying the […]
Red Cross: 14 Protesters Injured in Clash with Nigerian Police
Posted January 9th, 2012 at 9:10 am (UTC-5)
The Red Cross in Nigeria says at least 14 people have been injured in clashes with police during nationwide protests against soaring fuel prices. Red Cross official Musa Abdullahi said the casualties took place Monday in the northern city of Kano, where at least seven people suffered gunshot wounds. Thousands of Nigerians began a nationwide […]
Iran Starts Uranium Enrichment at Underground Complex
Posted January 9th, 2012 at 8:40 am (UTC-5)
Diplomats in Vienna say Iran has started uranium enrichment at a facility where the material can be upgraded quickly for potential use in a nuclear bomb. The diplomats close to the international monitoring of nuclear programs said Monday that Iranian centrifuges were refining uranium to a purity of 20 percent at the underground Fordo complex […]
Norway’s Statoil Discovers Oil in Barents Sea
Posted January 9th, 2012 at 8:30 am (UTC-5)
Norway’s Statoil has announced a major oil discovery in the Barents Sea that could contain up to 300 million barrels of oil. Statoil, Norway’s largest oil producer, announced the find in a statement Monday. It says the newly discovered deposit is in the Havis prospect , just seven kilometers from the Skrugard prospect, where oil […]
Australia to Ease Sanctions Against Burma
Posted January 9th, 2012 at 8:20 am (UTC-5)
Australia says it will scale back sanctions against Burma in response to the Southeast Asian nation’s move toward democratic reforms. Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, in a statement Monday, said Burmese tourism officials and ex-ministers from Burma’s military junta who have left politics will be removed from Canberra’s sanctions list. He said an arms embargo will […]
Jonathan: Boko Haram Members in Nigerian Gov’t
Posted January 9th, 2012 at 7:55 am (UTC-5)
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan says radical Islamist sect Boko Haram has infiltrated the government, complicating efforts to fight the group. At a speech Sunday in the capital, Abuja, Mr. Jonathan asserted that Boko Haram members are in the executive, parliamentary and judicial branches of government, and also in the armed forces. He said the situation […]
Pakistan Recovers Soldiers’ Bodies in Taliban Exchange
Posted January 9th, 2012 at 7:15 am (UTC-5)
Pakistani authorities have recovered the bodies of 10 soldiers in an exchange with the Taliban, following a clash with the militant group two weeks ago in the country’s northwest. Officials said Monday the soldiers had been missing since the Taliban attacked an outpost on December 21 in the Orakzai tribal agency. Through negotiations, the two […]
US Officials Arrive in Burma
Posted January 9th, 2012 at 7:10 am (UTC-5)
Two top U.S. envoys have arrived in Burma for talks with government ministers about microfinance programs and human trafficking. U.S. special envoy to Burma Derek Mitchell and Luis CdeBaca, the U.S. envoy on human trafficking, are to meet with Burma’s new, nominally civilian government. The trip follows U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s landmark visit […]
Unrest in Chechnya Leaves 8 Dead
Posted January 9th, 2012 at 7:10 am (UTC-5)
Islamic insurgents killed four Russian soldiers Sunday and wounded another 16 during a clash in the mountains of southern Chechnya. The Russian Interior Ministry says four militants were killed and two wounded in the fighting. The military operation was hindered by deep snow and thick fog. The Russian soldiers resumed their search for the militants […]
Nigerians Protest Fuel Costs in Nationwide Strike
Posted January 9th, 2012 at 7:00 am (UTC-5)
Nigerians have begun a nationwide strike to protest sharp increases in the price of fuel and food after a government decision to end fuel subsidies. Thousands of people gathered Monday in the commercial capital Lagos, where usually busy streets were empty aside from the demonstrators. They chanted and carried signs, including a call to end […]
