Much of the Indonesian capital is under waist-high water, after several days of unusually heavy monsoon rains caused floods that forced thousands to seek shelter. Rising flood waters in Jakarta forced many government offices and businesses to close Thursday, and many roads were unpassable in the low-lying, flood-prone city of 14 million. Forecasters warn the […]
Floods Cripple Indonesian Capital, 2 Dead
Pakistan’s Anti-Corruption Bureau Refuses to Arrest Prime Minister
The head of Pakistan’s anti-corruption bureau says it has decided not to arrest Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, despite orders to do so by the supreme court. Fasih Bokhari, chief of the National Accountability Bureau, told the court Thursday that he does not have sufficient evidence to arrest Mr. Ashraf on corruption charges. On Tuesday, […]
New York City School Bus Drivers on Strike
School bus drivers in the largest U.S. public school system, New York City, are on strike for a second day Thursday, leaving more than 150,000 students looking for alternative transportation to get to class. Eight thousand unionized bus drivers walked off the job on Wednesday, taking to the picket lines to dramatize their demand for […]
Boeing 787 Crisis Widens, as Global Regulators Ground Dreamliner
Aviation authorities around the world are grounding the Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger jet following a safety warning issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Airlines in Chile, India and Europe are the latest to stop flying the jet, which already has been grounded in the U.S. and Japan. As of early Thursday, 39 of the […]
Chinese Official Calls for Dialogue with Japan on Island Dispute
A senior Chinese leader is calling for talks with Japan to resolve an increasingly bitter dispute over a group of islands in the East China Sea. Jia Qinglin, who heads China’s top political advisory body, says the two sides should handle the dispute in order to protect relations and preserve regional stability. His comments, published […]
US Orders All Boeing 787s Grounded
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered all U.S.-registered Boeing 787 passenger jets to stop flying until the risk of possible fires caused by lithium batteries aboard the craft can be evaluated. The FAA said it will work with Boeing and United Airlines – the only American carrier that currently operates 787s – to get the […]
4 Killed on Gun Attack on Restaurant in Eastern Kenya
At least four people were killed and four others wounded when gunmen opened fire inside a restaurant in Garissa in eastern Kenya Wednesday. No one has claimed responsibility for the shootings. But al-Shabab Islamic militants have threatened to carry out attacks in Kenya in response to Kenyan military involvement in neighboring Somalia. Garissa has been […]
Syrian Refugees Killed in Heater Accident in Jordan
At least seven Syrian refugees were killed Wednesday in Jordan when a kerosene heater caused a fire in a refugee camp. Civil defense officials say four other refugees were injured in the accident in a caravan in the King Hussein area in the northern city of Ramtha. Jordan houses more than 200,000 refugees who fled […]
Clinton Urges Laos to Investigate Activist’s Disappearance
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is calling on Laos to investigate the disappearance of a prominent social activist and reunite him with his family. Human rights groups say Sombath Somphone, a campaigner for a sustainable development in Laos, was detained in the capital Vientiane a month ago and that he is in government custody. […]
US to Recognize Somalia’s New Government
A senior U.S. diplomat says the United States is officially recognizing the government in Somalia, opening formal diplomatic relations for the first time since militants shot down two U.S. military helicopters in Mogadishu in 1993. Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson says visiting Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will […]