The secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon. has told African leaders it is time for them to respect gay rights. Speaking Sunday before the annual African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mr. Ban said discrimination based on sexual orientation has prompted some governments to treat people as second-class citizens or even criminals. “Let […]
African Leaders Urged to Respect Gay Rights
Posted January 29th, 2012 at 2:40 pm (UTC-5)
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Activists: Syrian Troops Enter Damascus Suburbs, Fight Rebels
Posted January 29th, 2012 at 1:50 pm (UTC-5)
Syrian opposition activists say government troops have launched an assault on several Damascus suburbs to drive out rebels who have been trying build a stronghold near President Bashar al-Assad’s center of power. The activists say pro-Assad soldiers backed by dozens of tanks and armored vehicles battled rebels of the Free Syrian Army on the eastern […]
Burma Democracy Leader Begins Political Campaigning
Posted January 29th, 2012 at 1:50 pm (UTC-5)
Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi hit the campaign trail Sunday ahead of by-elections seen as a key test of the military-backed government’s commitment to reform. Thousands of cheering supporters lined the roads of several towns in the southern district of Dawei, as the Nobel Peace laureate made her first political trip outside Rangoon […]
Sudan-South Sudan Dispute Dominates African Summit
Posted January 29th, 2012 at 1:30 pm (UTC-5)
South Sudan has followed through on its threat and shut down all oil production as its dispute with Sudan shows no sign of resolution. The leaders of both countries held talks in Addis Ababa late last week on the sidelines of the annual gathering of African leaders to work on a deal to share oil […]
Police Kill 4 in Bangladeshi Protests
Posted January 29th, 2012 at 1:05 pm (UTC-5)
Police in Bangladesh fired guns and used tear gas on protesters at opposition rallies in the southeast, killing at least four and injuring more than 200 others. Authorities say the shootings took place Sunday in two towns — Chandpur and Laksmipur — where Bangladesh Nationalist Party activists were demonstrating for the reinstatement of a caretaker […]
Iraq’s Sunni-backed Iraqiya Alliance to End Parliament Boycott
Posted January 29th, 2012 at 12:45 pm (UTC-5)
An Iraqi political alliance backed by many Sunnis says it will end a month-long boycott of parliament, easing a political crisis that has exposed deep sectarian divisions in Iraq’s national unity government. Iraqiya spokeswoman Maysoon al-Damluji said Sunday the alliance’s lawmakers will resume attendance of parliamentary sessions this week for the first time since mid-December […]
IAEA Team in Iran to Ask About Nuclear Weapon Allegations
Posted January 29th, 2012 at 11:25 am (UTC-5)
U.N. nuclear inspectors have begun a mission to Iran to investigate allegations of secret military dimensions to the Iranian nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency team led by Herman Nackaerts arrived in Tehran on Sunday for a three-day visit. Before Nackaerts left the agency’s headquarters in Vienna, he said he wants Iran to “engage” […]
Sarkozy Outlining New Economic Plan
Posted January 29th, 2012 at 11:10 am (UTC-5)
The embattled president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, is outlining new economic proposals during a broadcast Sunday that observers say is aimed at boosting his poor standing with voters ahead of April’s general election. Though Mr. Sarkozy has yet to announce his candidacy, he is widely expected to face Socialist Francois Hollande, who is polling ahead […]
Activists: Syrian Troops Enter Damascus Suburbs, Fight Rebels
Posted January 29th, 2012 at 9:55 am (UTC-5)
Syrian opposition activists say government troops have moved into several Damascus suburbs as part of an offensive to drive out rebels who have been trying build a stronghold near President Bashar al-Assad’s center of power. The activists say pro-Assad soldiers backed by dozens of tanks and armored vehicles battled the rebels in the Kfar Batna […]
Taliban, U.S. Negotiators Meet in Qatar
Posted January 29th, 2012 at 9:50 am (UTC-5)
Taliban negotiators are meeting with U.S. officials in Qatar for a series of discussions aimed at building trust and preparing both sides for upcoming peace talks. Former Taliban official Maulavi Qalamuddin, who once led the group’s religious police, says about five Taliban negotiators are there for the preliminary talks. He says the talks include the […]
