Syria is denying reports that Vice President Farouq al-Shara has defected. Syrian state television Saturday quoted a statement from Shara’s office as saying the 73-year-old Sunni Muslim “never thought for a moment about leaving the country.” The channel also said Shara welcomed the U.N. appointment Friday of veteran Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi as international envoy […]
Syria Denies Defection of Vice President
Posted August 18th, 2012 at 9:50 am (UTC-5)
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Crowd Gathers Near Site of South African Mine Shooting
Posted August 18th, 2012 at 8:00 am (UTC-5)
A large crowd has gathered near the site of a South African mine where 34 people were killed Thursday after police opened fire on striking miners. Some of those who gathered Saturday near the Lonmin PLC platinum mine, northwest of Johannesburg, sat and wrapped themselves in blankets to protect themselves against the chilly weather. Authorities […]
Syria Denies Defection of Vice President
Posted August 18th, 2012 at 7:00 am (UTC-5)
Syrian state television is reporting that Vice President Farouq al-Shara has not defected, as rebels had claimed earlier in the week. The report Saturday said the 73-year-old Sunni Muslim “has never thought about leaving the country.” The channel also said that al-Shara had welcomed the U.N. appointment Friday of veteran Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi as […]
Russia Faces Criticism over Band Sentence
Posted August 18th, 2012 at 7:00 am (UTC-5)
Russia is facing mounting criticism of the two-year prison sentence for “hooliganism” given to members of an all-female punk band for their protest in an Orthodox cathedral. A judge handed down the sentence Friday for three members of the band Pussy Riot, prompting demonstrations in cities across the globe, including Moscow, London, Paris and New […]
6.6 Earthquake Strikes Indonesia
Posted August 18th, 2012 at 6:55 am (UTC-5)
A strong earthquake has struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The U.S. Geological Survey says the 6.6 magnitude quake struck late Saturday afternoon 56 kilometers from the town of Palu at a relatively shallow depth of 20 kilometers. There are no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The French news agency reports panicked residents in […]
Burma Forms Commission to Probe Sectarian Violence
Posted August 18th, 2012 at 5:25 am (UTC-5)
Burma has formed a commission to investigate deadly sectarian violence in western Rakhine state between Buddhists and the Muslim Rohingya minority in which dozens of people were killed and tens of thousands were displaced. The state New Light of Myanmar newspaper said Saturday that the 27-member commission is mandated to find the circumstances behind the […]
4 Killed in U.S. Drone Strike in Pakistan
Posted August 18th, 2012 at 5:10 am (UTC-5)
Pakistani security officials say a U.S. drone attack in a tribal region has killed at least four people. Authorities say two missiles were fired Saturday in the attack in North Waziristan, a region near the Afghan border considered a stronghold of Taliban and al-Qaida militants. Drone strikes are a contentious issue between Washington and Islamabad. […]
4 Killed in Afghanistan Blast
Posted August 18th, 2012 at 4:10 am (UTC-5)
Officials in western Afghanistan say a bomb blast has killed four people. A Herat province spokesman says 12 people were wounded by the blast Saturday, including three policemen. Authorities say the bomb exploded in a Shindand district market.
UN Appoints New Envoy to Syria
Posted August 18th, 2012 at 3:00 am (UTC-5)
The United Nations on Friday confirmed that veteran Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi will take over as international envoy to Syria, replacing former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan, who is stepping down at the end of the month. Brahimi was Algeria’s foreign minister from 1991 to 1993 and later became a U.N. envoy in Afghanistan and Iraq. […]
UN Chief Condemn’s Iran’s Anti-Israel Rhetoric
Posted August 18th, 2012 at 1:45 am (UTC-5)
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sharply rebuked Iran’s supreme leader and president Friday, describing their latest anti-Israel rhetoric as “offensive and inflammatory.” At a rally Friday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahamadinejad told thousands of screaming worshippers at Tehran University that a new Middle East would have no trace of Americans or Israelis. Earlier this week, Iranian media […]
