Russian police say twin explosions in the Republic of Dagestan, in the North Caucasus region, killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 30 others late Thursday. Authorities say the first blast involved a car, which exploded as police approached it at a check point in Makhachkala, Dagestan’s capital. The second explosion occurred as […]
Twin Explosions Kill at Least 13 in Russia’s North Caucaus Region
West African Leaders Ready to Send Forces to Mali, Warn Guinea-Bissau
West Africa’s regional bloc said Thursday it is ready to deploy forces to Mali, where a military junta deposed the legitimate civilian government in March. Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, the president of the commission of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, said the group intended to send forces as soon as the Malian […]
Blind China Activist Appeals to US Congress
Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has made an appeal to U.S. lawmakers requesting a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to help him leave China. Chen made a phone call to a congressional hearing in Washington discussing his case and said he was tired and wanted to come to the United States to rest. He […]
Syrian Forces Raid Aleppo University, 4 Killed
Syrian security forces stormed a protest march and killed four people at Aleppo University early Thursday. The U.S. condemned the incident and accused President Bashar al-Assad of making “no effort” to honor a three-week-old U.N.-brokered truce. Amateur video showed about 1,500 students in the northern city of Aleppo chanting against the Assad family’s four-decade-long rule […]
Seized Letters Reveal a Frustrated Bin Laden
TYPE: CN )) A study of newly declassified documents recovered from Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan after his death last year highlights what was, at times, an apparently difficult relationship between al-Qaida’s core group and its affiliates. The documents in the form of letters, analyzed and released by the U.S. Military Academy Thursday, show […]
US Officials: Blind China Activist Never Asked for Asylum
U.S. officials have dismissed reports that a blind Chinese activist who was sheltered at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing for almost a week was forced to leave. U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke told reporters Thursday that Chen Guangchen had never asked for asylum and that he had chosen to stay in China after the […]
Facebook Estimating Value at Nearly $96 Billion in IPO
Facebook, the social network website used by more than 900 million people around the world, is about to go public. Facebook announced Thursday that its initial public offering will be between $28 and $35 a share. At this price, Facebook would be worth as much as $96 billion. Facebook executives plan to hold what they […]
Major Terrorist Attack Thwarted in Afghanistan
Afghan authorities say the country’s intelligence agency has thwarted a major terrorist attack near the capital and arrested a Pakistani national in connection with the attempted strike. The agency said the suspect was driving a truck filled with explosives when he was arrested Thursday on a road just east of Kabul. It said the man […]
Bahrain Ratifies Changes to Constitution; Opposition Unimpressed
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Thursday approved changes to the country’s constitution aimed at ending a nearly 15-months-old popular revolt in the Gulf state. The amendments include giving parliament more powers to question and remove government ministers. During a ceremony in Manama, King Hamad said that “the door of dialogue is open […]
Russia’s Top General Says Preemptive Strike Against Missile Shield Possible
Russia’s top general said Thursday that Moscow may be forced to disable NATO’s planned missile defense system in Europe. Army General Nikolay Makarov told an international conference on missile defense in Moscow that a pre-emptive strike could be utilized to physically destroy the missile systems. Makarov added that he hoped the use of weapons of […]