Britain says it plans to stop all financial aid to India in 2015, marking a major change in ties between an emerging economic power and its former colonial ruler. International Development Minister Justine Greening said Tuesday that now is the time to recognize India’s changing place in the world, and to move to a bilateral […]
Iran Confirms Attack on US Drone
Posted November 9th, 2012 at 11:00 am (UTC-5)
Iran has confirmed a Pentagon report that two Iranian warplanes fired on an unarmed U.S. drone in the Persian Gulf last week. Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi was quoted on the Iranian Students’ News Organization website as saying that Iran’s armed forces took action against an anonymous plane that entered the country’s airspace – countering the […]
France, UK Demand Explanation of Iranian Blogger Death
Posted November 9th, 2012 at 10:45 am (UTC-5)
France and Britain are calling on Iran to explain the death in detention of an anti-government blogger who opposition activists say had been tortured. Activists say 35-year-old Sattar Beheshti was arrested in his home in late October, and that his family was asked on Wednesday to pick up his body from a detention center in […]
Germany Gets Tough On Putin’s Russia
Posted November 9th, 2012 at 9:30 am (UTC-5)
German lawmakers are set to debate a motion urging Chancellor Angela Merkel to push for more democracy in Russia when she meets with President Vladimir Putin next week in Moscow. Germany’s Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, will present a resolution Friday focusing on Mr. Putin’s confrontational course toward government critics. Ms. Merkel’s center-right coalition […]
Britain Names New Archbishop of Canterbury
Posted November 9th, 2012 at 8:00 am (UTC-5)
Britain’s government says a new leader of the Church of England has been selected — former businessman and current Bishop of Durham Justin Welby. Prime Minister David Cameron’s office made the announcement Friday, after a long wait for the selection of a successor to the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. Welby is against gay […]
Iran Implicitly Confirms Attack on US Drone
Posted November 9th, 2012 at 7:45 am (UTC-5)
Iran is vowing to confront any aircraft that enters its airspace, one day after the Pentagon said Iranian warplanes fired on an unarmed U.S. drone over international waters in the Persian Gulf. Iranian Revolutionary Guard General Massoud Jazayeri did not explicitly confirm the incident in his comments to the FARS news agency on Friday. But […]
Putin Replaces Army Chief of Staff
Posted November 9th, 2012 at 7:35 am (UTC-5)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has replaced his army chief of staff, just days after replacing the defense minister. Mr. Putin announced Friday that General Valery Gerasimov will take over the position from Army chief of staff Nikolai Makarov. Gerasimov was a commander in the second war with Chechnya. On Tuesday, Mr. Putin dismissed Defense Minister […]
North Korea, Japan to Hold Talks
Posted November 9th, 2012 at 7:15 am (UTC-5)
Japan and North Korea say they will hold talks next week in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said Friday that the talks will be held next Thursday and Friday and will focus on ways to improve relations. Japanese media reported Friday that Tokyo will raise the issue of […]
Sri Lanka’s Top Justice Denies Impeachment Charges
Posted November 9th, 2012 at 5:10 am (UTC-5)
Sri Lanka’s chief justice has denied all allegations of financial wrongdoing made against her by ruling party members who are trying to have her removed from office. Shirani Bandaranayake’s lawyers said their client can easily refute all the accusations. Lawmakers from President Mahinda Rajapakse’s party had wanted the chief justice to step aside during the […]
Obama to Address Economic Issues
Posted November 9th, 2012 at 5:05 am (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to make a statement on the U.S. economy Friday, as a January 1 “fiscal cliff” looms that would institute automatic deep spending cuts and tax hikes. The president is expected to urge members of Congress to arrive at a budget plan before the deadline. Experts fear the cuts could […]
