The United States says it is open to resuming negotiations with Iran about its controversial nuclear program if Tehran is “serious” about discussing it openly. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Wednesday it is up to Iran to rejoin talks with the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany, a group known […]
US Open to Resuming Nuclear Talks with “Serious” Iran
China Sentences Dissident Writer to 10 Years in Jail
Chinese writer and democracy activist Li Tie has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after penning a series of essays urging citizens to defend their rights. A relative of the activist said Thursday Li was found guilty of “subversion of state power” by a court in central China earlier this week. The relative says […]
Kim Jong Un Visits North Korean Soldiers Again
North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong Un has again inspected a military unit, as the young leader continues to establish his military credentials. The official Korean Central News Agency said Thursday that Mr. Kim toured a military base and took photos with soldiers, who were “enthusiastically cheering in tears of emotion.” He was accompanied by […]
Online Blackout Shrinks Support for Anti-Piracy Bills
An online blackout in protest of U.S. anti-piracy proposals has whittled away support for the bills, which are designed to crack down on sales of pirated U.S. products overseas. Online encyclopedia Wikipedia blacked out its English language website for 24 hours Wednesday, along with the popular blog, Boing Boing. Social news website Reddit also went […]
Bird Flu Deaths Reported in Vietnam, Cambodia
A Vietnamese duck farmer has become the first person to die of bird flu in Vietnam in nearly two years, while another death from the disease was reported in neighboring Cambodia. Vietnamese officials said Thursday the 18-year-old farmer from the southern Mekong delta died after reporting a high fever and respiratory problems. Investigators have not […]
Pakistani Prime Minister: President Has Immunity
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has appeared before the country’s Supreme Court to face contempt charges. Mr. Gilani arrived at the court Thursday under a heavy security presence, to defend his decision not to ask Swiss authorities to reopen a corruption case against President Asif Ali Zardari. Mr. Gilani says President Zardari, as head […]
Rangers Sign Japanese Baseball Star Darvish
Japanese baseball superstar Yu Darvish has signed a contract to play for Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers. The Rangers signed the 25-year-old right handed pitcher to a six-year deal worth $60 million on Wednesday. They will also pay a posting fee of about $51 million to his old team, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. The […]
Hope Fading for Possible Cruise Ship Suvivors
Anxious relatives are holding on to faint hopes rescue workers will find more survivors from a cruise ship that ran aground off the northwest Italian coast. Officials suspended their search of the Costa Concordia Wednesday after the cruise ship started shifting. In Friday’s accident, the ship hit rocks that tore a 52 meter gash in […]
Pakistani Prime Minister: President Has Immunity
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has appeared in the country’s Supreme Court to face contempt charges. Mr. Gilani arrived at the court Thursday under a heavy security presence, to defend his decision not to ask Swiss authorities to reopen a corruption case against President Asif Ali Zardari. Mr. Gilani says President Zardari, as head […]
Hope Fading for Possible Cruise Ship Suvivors
Anxious relatives are holding on to faint hopes rescue workers will find more survivors from a cruise ship that ran aground off the northwest Italian coast. Officials suspended their search of the Costa Concordia Wednesday after the cruise ship started shifting. The stricken ship hit rocks that tore a 52 meter gash in the hull, […]