Chinese state media say the death toll from a series of earthquakes in southwestern China has risen to at least 80, and more than 700 others are injured. The official Xinhua news agency says the 5.7-magnitude quake and several subsequent tremors hit Yunnan and Guizhou provinces Friday. At least 16 aftershocks have been reported. Television […]
Earthquake Kills 80 in Southwest China
US Indicts Seven from Zimbabwe in Tax Fraud Case
The United States has indicted seven men from Zimbabwe on charges of filing hundreds of false U.S. income tax returns, netting them up to $10 million in illegal refunds. Prosecutors in Cincinnati say the seven operated a storefront tax preparation service and used the names and information from hundreds of customers to send in fake […]
Canada Cuts Relations with Iran
Canada says it is suspending diplomatic relations with Iran, closing its embassy in Tehran and expelling all Iranian diplomats from Canada. Foreign Minister John Baird said Friday his government “views the government of Iran as the most significant threat to global peace and security in the world today.” He said Iranian diplomats in Canada must […]
Canada Cuts Relations with Iran
Canada says it is suspending diplomatic relations with Iran, closing its embassy in Tehran and expelling all Iranian diplomats from Canada. Foreign Minister John Baird said Friday his government “views the government of Iran as the most significant threat to global peace and security in the world today.” He said Iranian diplomats in Canada must […]
US Designates Pakistan’s Haqqani Network as Terror Group
The United States is declaring the Pakistan-based Haqqani network a terrorist organization, a move that paves the way for tough financial sanctions against the militant group. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Friday that she had signed a report to Congress that says the network meets the criteria for a terrorist designation. The Obama administration […]
Amnesty Intl: Pakistani Girl Accused of Blaspheming Islam in Serious Danger
Amnesty International says a mentally-challenged Christian girl accused of blaspheming Islam in Pakistan is still in serious danger even after a judge ordered her freed from jail. The human rights group said Friday’s decision to grant bail to 14-year-old Rimsha Masih is an encouraging step. But Amnesty says the Pakistani government must urgently reform its […]
Pakistani Judge Grants Bail to Christian Girl Accused of Blaspheming Islam
A Pakistani judge has granted bail to a mentally-challenged Christian girl accused of blasphemy against Islam. Fourteen-year-old Rimsha Masih had spent the last three weeks in jail in Islamabad after neighbors accused her of burning pages from the Quran. Judge Mohammad Azam Khan ordered her release Friday, setting bail at more than $10,000. The judge […]
Weak US Employment Report Could Force Central Bank Action
U.S. business analysts say that Friday’s weak employment report could push the country’s central bank to adopt new measures next week to spur job growth and boost the sluggish economy. The government reported that the American labor market added only 96,000 new jobs in August. While the jobless rate fell from 8.3 percent to 8.1 […]
Obama Hits Campaign Trail, Following Acceptance Speech
U.S. President Barack Obama has embarked on a three-day campaign swing, a day after accepting the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Both Mr. Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney are spending Friday reaching out to voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, two key states in the November 6 elections. At an event in New Hampshire, President […]
Damascus Explosion Kills At Least 5
An explosion outside a mosque in Syria’s capital killed five security personnel and wounded several others Friday, as fighting raged in other areas of Damascus and dozens of bodies were reported found in two neighborhoods. Syrian state television said the blast was caused by an explosives-rigged motorcycle at the Rukniyeh mosque in central Damascus. The […]