Apple’s chief executive has visited a newly built iPhone and iPad production line in China, where its operations have faced accusations of harsh labor conditions. The California-based company said Thursday that its new CEO Tim Cook toured the Foxconn Zhengzhou Technology Park in the north central province of Henan. Foxconn is the Taiwanese company that […]
Japan Hangs 3, in First Executions Since 2010
Posted March 29th, 2012 at 10:50 am (UTC-5)
Three convicted murderers have been hanged in Japan — the first time the death penalty has been carried out there in nearly two years. Japanese Justice Minister Toshio Ogawa confirmed the hangings during a news conference in Tokyo Thursday, turning aside criticism from human rights groups. “The death penalty is currently supported by the Japanese […]
Poland Warns EU Could Lose Influence
Posted March 29th, 2012 at 10:45 am (UTC-5)
Poland’s foreign minister says the European Union could lose its global influence if it continues to delay economic decisions. Radoslaw Sikorski told parliament on Thursday that an EU decline could create a “void” in the bloc’s global influence that would most likely be filled by countries including Russia. He said the current financial crisis gripping […]
ECOWAS Delegation Turned Back from Mali
Posted March 29th, 2012 at 10:45 am (UTC-5)
A delegation of West African presidents has abandoned plans to meet with Mali’s junta leaders following reports of pro-coup protests at the airport and in the capital. The delegation from the regional bloc ECOWAS, which included the leaders of Ivory Coast, Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso, was scheduled to meet Thursday in Mali’s capital, Bamako, […]
Syrian Violence Kills 15 as Arab Leaders Meet in Baghdad
Posted March 29th, 2012 at 10:35 am (UTC-5)
Violence across Syria has killed at least 15 people — most of them civilians — as Arab leaders met in Baghdad for a landmark summit focused on trying to resolve the year-long Syrian crisis. Syrian rights activists say forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad launched assaults on opposition hubs in central Syria and the northern […]
Spanish Workers Protest Labor Reforms
Posted March 29th, 2012 at 9:50 am (UTC-5)
Spanish workers are staging a boisterous 24-hour general strike to protest the government’s sweeping labor reforms and a new round of austerity measures the government plans to unveil on Friday. Protests in Madrid Thursday disrupted public transportation and factories and sharply curtailed flights into and out of Spain. The country’s Interior Ministry said at least […]
BRICS Nations Call for Shared Development Bank
Posted March 29th, 2012 at 8:50 am (UTC-5)
Leaders from the world’s five largest developing economies — the so-called BRICS — are moving toward the formation of a shared development bank. The five-nation bloc consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa wrapped up its summit Thursday in New Delhi with calls for a more representative international financial structure. Indian Prime Minister […]
French Islamist Gunman Denied Burial in Algeria
Posted March 29th, 2012 at 8:25 am (UTC-5)
Algeria has refused to allow the family of a French gunman accused of killing seven people to bury the man in the family’s native Algeria. A Muslim leader in France said Thursday that Algerian authorities denied the request from Mohamed Merah’s family because of security concerns. He said Merah will instead be buried in a […]
Gunmen Kill Shi’ite Muslims, UN Worker in Pakistan
Posted March 29th, 2012 at 8:20 am (UTC-5)
Gunmen have shot and killed five Shi’ite Muslims and a United Nations employee in two separate attacks in southwest Pakistan. Police say assailants on motorcycles opened fire on a passenger van in an apparent sectarian attack in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, on Thursday. A woman was among those killed and at least six […]
Romney Earns Endorsement of Two Major Republican Figures
Posted March 29th, 2012 at 8:10 am (UTC-5)
Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush is planning to endorse Mitt Romney’s campaign for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. A spokesman for Romney says the former president will throw his support to Romney at an event Thursday in of Houston, Texas. Mr. Bush’s endorsement comes one week after his son, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, […]
