U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has signed off on the release of $1.3 billion in annual military aid to Egypt, despite concerns that it is not making sufficient democratic reforms. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement that Clinton decided to waive legislative requirements on Egypt’s democratic transition based on U.S. […]
AU: Mali’s President Safe After Coup
Posted March 23rd, 2012 at 12:10 pm (UTC-5)
The African Union says Mali’s President Amadou Toumani Toure is safe, a day after renegade soldiers announced they had toppled his government. The head of the AU Commission, Jean Ping, told reporters Friday that the AU has received assurances Mr. Toure is at an undisclosed location near Bamako and is being protected by loyalists. The […]
China to Abolish Jailhouse Organ Harvesting
Posted March 23rd, 2012 at 12:10 pm (UTC-5)
China says it will abolish its controversial practice of harvesting human organs for transplant from death-row prisoners within 3 to 5 years. The official Xinhua news agency quotes Health vice-minister Huang Jiefu as saying the decades-old practice is being replaced by a national organ donation system to reduce reliance on the organs of inmates. Huang […]
Russia Issues Warning Over US Missile Defense
Posted March 23rd, 2012 at 11:35 am (UTC-5)
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says time is running out for the United States to come up with a plan to secure Russia’s agreement to a U.S.-led NATO missile defense system in Europe. In a speech Friday, Mr. Medvedev said it would be in the interest of both countries to quickly reach mutually acceptable agreements. He […]
Obama: Shooting Death of Trayvon Martin A ‘Tragedy’
Posted March 23rd, 2012 at 11:20 am (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama says the shooting death in Florida of an unarmed teenager is a tragedy, while calls for the arrest of the shooter, who claims self defense, intensify. At the White House Friday, President Obama said he had to speak carefully, as a federal investigation is under way in the shooting of 17-year-old […]
AU Sending 5,000 Troops to Find LRA Leader Kony
Posted March 23rd, 2012 at 11:20 am (UTC-5)
The African Union says it will deploy an additional 5,000 troops to search for fugitive rebel leader Joseph Kony, head of the Lord’s Resistance Army. The announcement was made in Entebbe, Uganda Friday by Francisco Madeira, the AU’s special envoy on the LRA. Madeira said the the troops will be supplied by Uganda, the Central […]
Obama Picks Korean-Born University President as World Bank Chief
Posted March 23rd, 2012 at 10:45 am (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama has nominated Jim Yong Kim, the Korean-born president of Dartmouth College, to head the World Bank. The 52-year-old Kim is a surprise selection by the U.S. to fill the top job at the international financial institution. Mr. Obama said Friday that Kim is well-qualified and a symbol of the diversity of […]
US Ambassador to Russia Says No Return to Cold War
Posted March 23rd, 2012 at 10:15 am (UTC-5)
The new U.S. ambassador to Russia says he has been surprised by how much anti-American sentiment he has experienced at his new post, but says neither Russian nor U.S. officials want to go back to the diplomatic tension that marked the nuclear arms race in the mid-20th century. Ambassador Michael McFaul has been on the […]
U.S. Ambassador to Russia Says No Return to Cold War
Posted March 23rd, 2012 at 9:45 am (UTC-5)
The new U.S. ambassador to Russia says he has been surprised by how much anti-American sentiment he has experienced at his new post, but says neither Russian nor U.S. officials want to go back to the diplomatic tension that marked the nuclear arms race in the mid-20th century. Ambassador Michael McFaul has been on the […]
Japan Prepares Defenses Against N. Korean Rocket Launch
Posted March 23rd, 2012 at 9:20 am (UTC-5)
Japan says it is preparing its missile defense systems to shoot down any North Korean rocket that threatens Japanese territory. Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka, spoke Friday in Tokyo, as North Korea moves forward with plans to launch a missile next month that it says will put a satellite in orbit. The United States, South Korea […]
