A landslide in a gold mining community on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao has killed at least 25 people and left more than 100 others missing. The landslide hit before dawn Thursday near the town of Pantukan, burying people as they slept in their poorly constructed shanty houses. Residents were forced to use shovels […]
Bombings Kill 22 in Iraqi Capital
Posted January 5th, 2012 at 3:10 am (UTC-5)
Iraqi officials say multiple bombs have exploded in Shi’ite areas of the capital, Baghdad, killing at least 22 people and wounding about 60 others. The blasts Thursday first hit the northern neighborhood of Sadr City. Officials say a bomb planted in a motorcycle exploded near a group of laborers who had gathered to seek work, […]
Philippine Kidnappers Demand $2 Million Ransom for Australian
Posted January 5th, 2012 at 3:00 am (UTC-5)
An Australian man kidnapped by a suspected militant Islamist group in the Philippines has appeared in a video saying his captors demand a $2 million ransom for his release. The video posted Thursday on the website of the Sydney Morning Herald shows a pale and distraught-looking Warren Richard Rodwell asking for the Philippine and Australian […]
Vietnam Sends Activist To Drug Rehab Center
Posted January 5th, 2012 at 2:55 am (UTC-5)
Vietnam has sent a female activist to a drug rehabilitation center for two years without trial for taking part in anti-China protests. A lawyer for Vietnamese activist Bui Thi Minh Hang says she was detained on November 27 after joining a small protest in southern Ho Chi Minh City. He says the next day she […]
Bombings Kill 13 in Iraqi Capital
Posted January 5th, 2012 at 2:10 am (UTC-5)
Iraqi officials say multiple bombs have exploded in Shi’ite areas of the capital, Baghdad, killing at least 13 people and wounding more than 45 others. The deadliest blast Thursday hit the northern neighborhood of Sadr City. Officials say seven people died when a bomb planted in a motorcycle exploded near a group of laborers who […]
Britain’s Hague Urges Reforms During Burma Visit
Posted January 5th, 2012 at 2:05 am (UTC-5)
British Foreign Secretary William Hague has arrived in Burma Thursday to urge the country’s leaders to continue “on the path of reform”. It is the first visit by the British foreign secretary to Burma in more than 50 years. Hague is due to meet with President Thein Sein and government leaders in the administrative capital, […]
Pakistani Taliban Kills 15 Abducted Security Officers
Posted January 5th, 2012 at 1:55 am (UTC-5)
The Pakistani Taliban said Thursday that it has killed 15 paramilitary soldiers who were abducted late last month along the country’s restive border with Afghanistan. A Taliban spokesperson told reporters that the Pakistani troops were shot and dumped in the border tribal region of North Waziristan. Reports from Pakistan say authorities have located the bodies, […]
Senior US Diplomat to Meet Top South Korean Nuclear Envoy
Posted January 5th, 2012 at 1:30 am (UTC-5)
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell is set to hold talks in Seoul with South Korean officials on how to revive stalled nuclear disarmament negotiations with North Korea following the death of Kim Jong Il. Campbell is expected to meet Thursday with Lim Sung-nam, South Korea’s top negotiator to six-party talks aimed at convincing […]
British Lawmakers Urge Ruling on Lethal Force Against Pirates
Posted January 5th, 2012 at 12:40 am (UTC-5)
British lawmakers are urging the government to clearly define when lethal force can legally be used against pirates. The request is part of a report released Thursday by parliament’s foreign affairs committee, which welcomed the government’s decision last year to permit armed guards on British ships in dangerous waters. The committee says captains still need […]
LA Arson Suspect Charged, on Suicide Watch
Posted January 5th, 2012 at 12:35 am (UTC-5)
Authorities have charged a German citizen with 37 counts of arson in connection with dozens of fires set across Los Angeles over the New Year’s weekend. Harry Burkhart made a brief court appearance on Wednesday, appearing disoriented at times.Burkhart is accused of going on a four-day arson rampage, setting more than 50 fires across the […]
