A new U.S. public opinion poll finds a surge in Americans’ optimism about the nation’s economic recovery may have stalled. The survey, released Friday by Quinnipiac University, finds the percentage of voters who think the economy is in a recession has grown by two percent since February, and the percentage who believe it is beginning […]
US Opinion Poll Suggests ‘Economic Optimism’ Waning
Guinea-Bissau Junta Says It Will Not Accept Peacekeepers
Guinea-Bissau’s military junta says it would not accept the presence of U.N. peacekeeping troops in the country, rejecting a proposal from the ousted ruling party. A spokesman for the junta, Daba Na Walna, told reporters Friday that Guinea-Bissau does not need peacekeepers because the country is not at war. He said any foreign troops sent […]
Passenger Plane Crashes in Islamabad
Local media in Pakistan is reporting that a plane carrying nearly 130 people has crashed outside the capital Islamabad. The Bhoja Air Boeing 737 was en route from the southern port city of Karachi to Islamabad when it crashed near the capital’s airport Friday in heavy rain. Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar told private Pakistani television […]
French Presidential Election Heads to Sunday Vote
France’s presidential election campaigning neared the end Friday, with President Nicolas Sarkozy apologizing for his mistakes and leading challenger Francois Hollande confident of ousting him. The first round of voting Sunday includes 10 candidates, but surveys of French voters show the embattled Sarkozy locked in a tight battle with Hollande, a Socialist. The two leading […]
Government Shelling, Deadly Blasts in Syria Despite Cease-fire
A cease-fire in Syria showed more signs of unraveling on Friday, as security forces fired shots at protesters and pounded opposition strongholds while the government blamed rebels for a deadly explosion. Activists say protesters calling for President Bashar al-Assad’s departure demonstrated across Syria under a heavy security force presence in some areas. The Associated Press […]
Burma’s Opposition May Boycott Parliament Due to Dispute
The opposition party of Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi says it may boycott parliament due to a dispute regarding the constitutional oath of office, just weeks after winning a landslide victory in the country’s by-elections. Officials with the National League for Democracy say its newly elected members are unlikely to attend the opening […]
Bail Hearing Opens for Florida Teenager’s Killer
A bail hearing has begun for the Florida man charged in the shooting death of a 17-year-old African American. Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman is appearing before a judge Friday to seek his release on bail while he awaits trial. The judge will determine whether the 28-year-old Zimmerman could potentially flee the state if he […]
Mali Military Junta Says 22 Detainees Released
Mali’s coup leaders said late Thursday they have released 22 political and military leaders from detention. The arrests earlier this week drew international condemnation. Meantime, the office of Senegal’s president announced that ousted Malian president Amadou Toumani Toure and his family were flying Thursday to the Senegalese capital, Dakar. Senegal’s President Macky Sall told reporters […]
Bail Hearing for Florida Teenager’s Killer
The Florida man charged in the shooting death of a 17-year-old African American teenager will appear before a judge Friday to seek his release on bail while he awaits trial. The judge will determine whether 28-year-old George Zimmerman could potentially flee the state if he is released, if he poses a threat to the community, […]
South Sudan to Withdraw From Heglig
South Sudan says it will pull its forces from the Heglig oil fields it seized from Sudan, following several days of growing international pressure. Speaking to reporters Friday in the south’s capital, Juba, a government spokesman said President Salva Kiir has ordered the withdrawal of troops from Heglig, also known as Panthou. On Thursday, U.N. […]