Aid agencies say thousands of lives were lost in the East African food crisis because the international community waited to respond until the shortage was a full-blown emergency. A report released Wednesday by Oxfam and Save the Children says a food shortage for the region was reported as early as August 2010, but rich donor […]
Report: World Must Respond Sooner to Food Crises
Posted January 18th, 2012 at 6:50 am (UTC-5)
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Lawyer: Pakistan’s PM Not Guilty of Contempt
Posted January 18th, 2012 at 6:45 am (UTC-5)
A lawyer for Pakistan’s embattled prime minister says the leader is not guilty of contempt of court and could write to Switzerland about reopening graft cases against his country’s president there. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s lawyer made his comments Wednesday, a day before Mr. Gilani is scheduled to appear before the Supreme Court. The […]
Report: Global Oil Demand Grows More Slowly
Posted January 18th, 2012 at 6:40 am (UTC-5)
The International Energy Agency says a slowing global economy means demand for oil will not grow as much as earlier thought. In Wednesday’s report, IEA experts say demand for crude oil fell 300,000 barrels a day in the last few months of 2011, the first such drop since 2009, during the financial crisis. The agency […]
China to Require all Microblog Users to Register Using Real Names
Posted January 18th, 2012 at 6:35 am (UTC-5)
China’s top Internet regulator says Beijing will soon require all users of microblogs to register under their real names to post comments online. Wang Chen, who heads China’s State Council Information Office, said Wednesday increased Internet monitoring is necessary in order to prevent the spread of harmful information. “We must impose control and management measures […]
Longtime Chinese Activist Charged with Subversion
Posted January 18th, 2012 at 6:10 am (UTC-5)
A veteran Chinese dissident has been charged with subversion for publishing a poem urging his fellow citizens to rise up and demand greater freedoms. Chinese police arrested Zhu Yufu nearly a year ago after he posted his poem, titled “It’s Time,” on the Internet. The poem was published during the height of the Arab Spring […]
Eritrea Denies Charges It Backed Afar Attack
Posted January 18th, 2012 at 5:45 am (UTC-5)
Eritrea has called claims it was behind a deadly attack on foreigners in northern Ethiopia “an absolute lie.” Eritrea’s ambassador to the African Union, Girma Asmerom, made the statement Wednesday. He was replying to charges by an Ethiopian government spokesman that the attack was made by rebels armed and trained by the Eritrean government. Ethiopia […]
Top Suspect in Nigerian Christmas Bombing Escapes Police
Posted January 18th, 2012 at 5:30 am (UTC-5)
Nigerian authorities say their top suspect in a deadly Christmas Day bombing at a Catholic church in the capital, Abuja, has escaped police custody after being arrested at the Borno state governor’s mansion in the capital. A police statement Tuesday said the suspect, Kabiru Sokoto, was being escorted to another police station outside of Abuja […]
Israel Says Decision on Iran Attack “Far Off”
Posted January 18th, 2012 at 5:20 am (UTC-5)
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak says any decision to attack Iran’s nuclear program is “very far off.” Barak said Wednesday no decision has been made to take such action, as Israel prepares for a visit this week by U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey. Russia said Wednesday a military strike against Iran would […]
Moody’s Raises Indonesia’s Credit Rating
Posted January 18th, 2012 at 5:05 am (UTC-5)
Indonesia scored its second credit rating upgrade in as many months on Wednesday, as Moody’s raised the status of Southeast Asia’s largest economy to investment grade. The credit ratings agency said it raised Indonesia’s bonds from junk status because of the nation’s ability to withstand global economic shocks. Specifically, the agency cited Indonesia’s efforts to […]
Search Suspended After Costa Concordia Shifts
Posted January 18th, 2012 at 4:25 am (UTC-5)
Rescue workers halted their search Wednesday of the Costa Concordia as the cruise ship shifted slightly. The Costa Concordia hit rocks and capsized off the coast of northern Italy late Friday. At least 11 people were killed and 20 are still missing. The ship’s owners blame the accident on the captain’s errors. An audio recording […]
