Israel says it will not backtrack on a settlement expansion plan that has drawn strong international condemnation. An official in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Monday “Israel will continue to stand by its vital interests, even in the face of international pressure.” He said “there will be no change in the decision that […]
Israel Says No Retreat on Settlement Plans
Posted December 3rd, 2012 at 12:30 pm (UTC-5)
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Congolese Troops Enter Goma Following Rebel Pullout
Posted December 3rd, 2012 at 12:25 pm (UTC-5)
Democratic Republic of Congo troops have returned to the eastern city of Goma, although rebels who occupied the city for nearly two weeks remain close by. Reports from the area say about 600 army troops entered Goma Monday, while government officials also started to return. The M23 rebel group pulled out of the city on […]
India: China’s Navy Modernization a “Major Concern”
Posted December 3rd, 2012 at 11:55 am (UTC-5)
India’s navy chief says the modernization of China’s navy is a source of major concern and has pledged to protect India’s interests in the South China Sea. India’s state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has a stake in a gas field off the coast of Vietnam. China claims almost all of the South China […]
Putin in Turkey for Bilateral Talks on Trade, Syria
Posted December 3rd, 2012 at 11:50 am (UTC-5)
Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss a range of issues, including the countries’ burgeoning trade relationship and differences over the Syrian conflict. Mr. Putin arrived in Istanbul Monday for a one-day visit, his first foreign trip in two months. The Russian leader was originally due to […]
Syria Denies It Would Use Chemical Weapons
Posted December 3rd, 2012 at 10:35 am (UTC-5)
Syria says it will not use chemical weapons against its own people after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned the issue remains a “red line” that would prompt direct American intervention. The diplomatic sparing comes as Syrian government forces bombed rebel positions in the border town of Ras al-Ain Monday, killing at least 12 […]
Greece Offers to Buy Back Bonds to Trim Its Debt
Posted December 3rd, 2012 at 10:30 am (UTC-5)
Greece is offering to spend $13 billion to buy back bonds held by private creditors in hopes of trimming its crippling debt. The Athens government said Monday it would try to repurchase $39 billion in debt, with investors selling their securities at slightly more than their current price on international financial markets but at substantially […]
Singapore Jails Chinese Immigrant for Rare Labor Strike
Posted December 3rd, 2012 at 10:05 am (UTC-5)
Authorities in Singapore have sentenced a Chinese immigrant bus driver to six weeks in prison for his involvement in the city-state’s first labor strike in more than a quarter of a century. 38-year-old Bao Feng Shan received his jail sentence Monday. He is one of five bus drivers charged for their involvement in the strike. […]
Hundreds Evacuate as Typhoon Approaches Philippines
Posted December 3rd, 2012 at 9:15 am (UTC-5)
Hundreds of people evacuated parts of the southern Philippines Monday as a powerful typhoon barreled toward the nation. Forecasters reported early Monday that Typhoon Bopha was about 550 kilometers southeast of Surigao del Sur province’s Hinatuan township. They said the storm had gusts of up to 210 kilometers per hour and that it should make […]
Clinton Pushing Energy Diversity in Czech Republic
Posted December 3rd, 2012 at 7:55 am (UTC-5)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she is “not shy” about pushing for an American firm to win a nuclear plant construction contract in the Czech Republic. U.S. firm Westinghouse and a Russian company are bidding on a $10 billion contract to expand the Temelin nuclear plant. The Czech Republic wants to boost its […]
Britain, France Summon Israeli Envoys Over Settlement Plan
Posted December 3rd, 2012 at 7:30 am (UTC-5)
Britain and France have summoned the Israeli ambassadors in their countries to express disapproval for Israel’s decision to develop a disputed area near East Jerusalem. Israel has authorized planning for the potential construction of 3,000 Jewish homes in a barren area that would involve linking East Jerusalem with Israel’s main West Bank settlement. The moves […]
