Economists say a combination of natural and man-made disasters led to unexpectedly weak U.S. retail sales in the crucial two months before Christmas. MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, which tracks retail spending, reports that sales rose just 0.7 percent over the same October-to-December period last year. MasterCard says October’s Superstorm Sandy affected sales in the Northeast while […]
Analysts: Bad Weather, Violence Weaken Pre-Holiday Retail Sales
Posted December 25th, 2012 at 7:45 pm (UTC-5)
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US Moves to Sell Advanced Spy Drones to South Korea
Posted December 25th, 2012 at 7:30 pm (UTC-5)
The Obama administration has formally proposed the sale of advanced spy drones to South Korea, in a push to boost the Seoul government’s ability to protect itself from attacks by the heavily-militarized North. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement that it has officially notified Congress of the proposed $1.2 billion deal for […]
Report: Iran Defeats New Cyber Attack
Posted December 25th, 2012 at 2:45 pm (UTC-5)
An Iranian civil defense official says Iran has repelled a new cyber attack on computers at an industrial site in the country’s south. Ali Akbar Akhavan told the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency Tuesday that the virus had penetrated some manufacturing industries in Hormuzgan province. He says Iranian computer experts were able to halt the […]
6 Killed in Attack on Nigerian Church
Posted December 25th, 2012 at 2:15 pm (UTC-5)
Gunmen in northeastern Nigeria killed at least six people early Tuesday when they opened fire at a church during a Christmas Eve service. Officials and residents say the attack happened shortly after midnight in a village outside the city of Potiskum in Yobe state. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Yobe is next to […]
Pakistan, India Begin First Cricket Series in 5 Years
Posted December 25th, 2012 at 2:05 pm (UTC-5)
Pakistan has beaten India in the opening match of their first bilateral cricket series in five years. The Pakistanis defeated India by five wickets Tuesday at Chinnaswamy Stadium in the Indian city of Bangalore. Security was tight for the opening match, with thousands of paramilitary soldiers and police positioned outside the stadium and surveillance cameras […]
US Firefighter Killed Used Assault Rifle, Left Note
Posted December 25th, 2012 at 1:40 pm (UTC-5)
The 62-year-old ex-convict who set his house on fire and ambushed firefighters in New York state, killing two, left a chilling note for authorities saying he was doing “what I like doing best, killing people.” Police from the town of Webster say William Spengler said in a two to three-page typewritten note he wanted to […]
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth Delivers Christmas Greeting
Posted December 25th, 2012 at 1:10 pm (UTC-5)
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth has delivered her first ever Christmas Day message in 3D. In her annual pre-recorded message, the queen paid tribute to the athletes and the “army of volunteers” that participated in the London Olympics and the Paralympics. “As London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage […]
Plane with Kazakh Border Service Chief Crashes
Posted December 25th, 2012 at 12:20 pm (UTC-5)
Kazakhstan says its acting border security chief is dead after his plane crashed near the Uzbekistan border. A statement from Kazakhstan’s security agency said the Russian-made plane disappeared from radar as it prepared to land in the southern city of Shymkent. It said Colonel Turganbek Stambekov was killed along seven crew members and 19 other […]
Pakistan, India Begin First Cricket Series in 5 Years
Posted December 25th, 2012 at 9:45 am (UTC-5)
Security was tight for the opening Tuesday of the first bilateral cricket series between Pakistan and India in five years. Thousands of paramilitary soldiers and police stood outside Chinnaswamy Stadium in the Indian city of Bangalore, while fans endured body searches and went through metal detectors before passing through. Surveillance cameras monitored activity in and […]
Iraqi Kurds Shut Down Oil Exports
Posted December 25th, 2012 at 9:25 am (UTC-5)
Iraq’s ongoing feud with its semi-autonomous Kurdish north is taking a toll on the country’s oil exports. Iraqi officials say the Kurds have suspended all oil shipments. An adviser to the Kurdish Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed the stoppage to The Associated Press, citing a payment dispute with the central government in Baghdad. Iraqi Kurdish […]
