Gunmen have shot at a car carrying the Italian consul in the Libyan city of Benghazi but failed to harm him. Authorities say Guido De Sanctis was going home after work Saturday when the gunmen, riding in another car, fired several shots at his vehicle. Security officials said nobody was hurt in the attack because […]
Russia Stops Short of Urging Syria’s Assad to Step Down
Posted January 12th, 2013 at 10:25 am (UTC-5)
Russia is calling for a political transition process in Syria but has stopped short of saying President Bashar al-Assad should relinquish power as part of a deal to end the country’s conflict. In a statement Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry reiterated Moscow’s long-held position that only Syrians can decide their future without outside interference. The statement […]
U.S., Russia to Discuss Stalemate on Syria
Posted January 11th, 2013 at 2:00 am (UTC-5)
United Nations-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is set to meet Friday in Geneva with U.S. and Russian officials to discuss finding a political solution to the conflict in Syria. The United States is among members of the U.N. Security Council who back a political transition plan for Syria that includes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad […]
Bombings Kill 6 in Iraq
Posted January 10th, 2013 at 6:40 am (UTC-5)
Bombings in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and north of the city have killed at least six people and wounded 14 others. Four of the victims Thursday died in a blast near a bus stop in Baghdad’s mainly Shi’ite Hurriyah neighborhood. The explosion destroyed several vehicles and damaged nearby buildings. Amateur video captured shortly after the […]
Car Bomb Kills 4 in Iraqi Capital
Posted January 10th, 2013 at 4:45 am (UTC-5)
A car bomb has exploded in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, killing at least four people and wounding 14 others. The blast Thursday near a bus stop in the mainly Shi’ite Hurriyah neighborhood destroyed several vehicles and damaged nearby buildings. Amateur video captured shortly after the blast showed multiple cars engulfed in flames. There was no […]
Syrian Rebels Free Iranians in Prisoner Exchange
Posted January 9th, 2013 at 7:15 am (UTC-5)
Syrian rebels have freed 48 Iranians in exchange for the Syrian government releasing more than 2,000 prisoners. Turkish aid group IHH says it helped coordinate the swap, and that the prisoners released by Syria include nationals from Turkey and other countries. Rebels captured the Iranians in August in Damascus, alleging they were part of Iran’s […]
Syrian Rebels Free Iranians in Prisoner Exchange
Posted January 9th, 2013 at 6:50 am (UTC-5)
Syrian rebels have freed 48 Iranians in exchange for the Syrian government releasing more than 2,000 prisoners. Turkish aid group IHH says it helped coordinate the swap, and that the prisoners released by Syria include nationals from Turkey and other countries. Rebels kidnapped the Iranians in August in Damascus, alleging they were part of Iran’s […]
Syrian Rebels Free Iranians in Prisoner Exchange
Posted January 9th, 2013 at 6:25 am (UTC-5)
Syrian rebels have freed 48 Iranians in exchange for the Syrian government releasing more than 2,000 prisoners. Turkish aid group IHH says it helped coordinate the swap, and that the prisoners released by Syria include nationals from Turkey and other countries. Rebels kidnapped the Iranians in August in Damascus, alleging they were part of Iran’s […]
Bahrain’s Top Court Upholds Prison Terms for 13 Dissidents
Posted January 7th, 2013 at 9:20 am (UTC-5)
Bahrain’s top court has upheld prison sentences against 13 opposition figures charged with plotting to overthrow the Gulf state’s minority Sunni rulers in a 2011 uprising. In a ruling Monday, the Bahraini court rejected appeals from all 13 dissidents, most of whom are majority Shi’ites. Eight of the defendants had been sentenced to life 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 […]
