Australia’s prime minister has toured the southern island of Tasmania, where four days of wildfires have damaged or destroyed hundreds of structures and left around a hundred people missing. Australian firefighters, using helicopters and planes, are still battling the blazes on Tasmania, where the fires flared Friday after a record summer heat wave pushed temperatures […]
Australian Prime Minister Tours Fire-Ravaged Tazmania
Posted January 7th, 2013 at 3:20 am (UTC-5)
Leave a comment
Gang-Rape Suspects Appear in Indian Court
Posted January 7th, 2013 at 2:35 am (UTC-5)
Five of the six suspects in the Indian gang-rape case arrived at a fast-track court Monday in New Delhi. Indian authorities have charged the men with murder, rape, kidnapping and other charges in the December 16 attack. Officials say they will push for the death penalty if the men are convicted. A sixth suspect is […]
Syria’s Assad Offers Dialogue, Slams Rebels in Rare Public Speech
Posted January 7th, 2013 at 12:55 am (UTC-5)
The United States says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s plan for a national reconciliation conference is “detached from reality” and is an attempt to “cling to power.” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in statement following a rare speech by Mr. Assad Sunday that the Syrian leader has lost legitimacy. She repeated calls for him to […]
Private American Delegation Visiting North Korea
Posted January 6th, 2013 at 11:10 pm (UTC-5)
Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson and Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt are starting an unofficial visit to North Korea Monday on what is being described as a “humanitarian mission.” Richardson says he plans to talk to officials about the arrest of Korean-American citizen Kenneth Bae, who is being held in North […]
Afghan Future to Top Karzai-Obama Talks
Posted January 6th, 2013 at 6:10 pm (UTC-5)
Afghan President Hamid Karzai heads to Washington Monday for talks with President Barack Obama that will focus on Afghanistan’s future after U.S. forces withdraw next year. Ahead of his visit, Mr. Karzai met in Kabul with a delegation of visiting U.S. senators. His office said the meeting Saturday focused on a range of issues — […]
New Fight Looming Over US Debt
Posted January 6th, 2013 at 5:15 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. lawmakers are getting ready for another political fight over the country’s budget woes. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell warned Sunday his party will not consider any more tax increases. He told ABC television’s This Week that “the tax issue is finished.” He said President Barack Obama and lawmakers now need to focus on cutting […]
Syria’s Assad Offers Dialogue, Slams Rebels in Rare Public Speech
Posted January 6th, 2013 at 4:25 pm (UTC-5)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made a rare public speech Sunday, again calling for a political solution to the civil war while denouncing opposition forces as “terrorists.” In his first national speech since June, Mr. Assad told a crowd of loyalists at the Damascus Opera House that he is prepared to hold a national reconciliation conference […]
Twin Suicide Bombing Targets Afghan Tribal Elders, Kills 5
Posted January 6th, 2013 at 2:00 pm (UTC-5)
Officials in southern Afghanistan say a twin suicide attack has killed five people and wounded at least 15 others. Authorities say the two bombers attacked a meeting of tribal elders at a government compound Sunday in the town of Spin Boldak in Kandahar province. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. There were no reports […]
New Fight Looming Over US Debt
Posted January 6th, 2013 at 1:25 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. lawmakers are positioning themselves for another political fight over the country’s budget woes. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell warned Sunday his party is done considering any tax increases, telling ABC’s “This Week” that “the tax issue is finished.” He said President Barack Obama and lawmakers now need to focus on cutting spending, calling Washington’s […]
Egypt’s Morsi Expands Brotherhood Influence in Cabinet
Posted January 6th, 2013 at 1:05 pm (UTC-5)
Egypt’s Islamist President Mohamed Morsi has expanded the number of Muslim Brotherhood ministers in his Cabinet as part of a reshuffle aimed at improving the government’s handling of an economic crisis. Ten Egyptian ministers were sworn in on Sunday, three of them members of Mr. Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood movement. A Brotherhood spokesman said the reshuffle […]
