Armenia and Iran have begun building a joint hydroelectric power plant along their countries’ shared border. Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian and members of an Iranian delegation led by Iran’s energy minister, Majid Namjoo, attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the plant Thursday on the Arax River, near the southern Armenian town of Meghri. The construction of […]
London Court Opens Trial of 3 British Islamists Accused of Bomb Plot
Three British Islamists are on trial in Britain, facing accusations of plotting terrorist attacks that could have been deadlier than the 2005 London transit bombings. Prosecutor Brian Altman told a high-security London court Monday the three defendants planned to detonate up to eight rucksack bombs in a suicide attack or set off timer bombs in […]
Guinea-Bissau Troops Kill 6 Gunmen in Failed Coup Attempt
Six people have been killed in a gunbattle in the troubled nation of Guinea-Bissau in what officials are calling a failed coup attempt. Officials in the West African country say government troops repelled an attack before dawn on Sunday on an air force base near the capital, Bissau. Casualties among the government forces could not […]
Bali Bombing Victims Remembered on 10th Anniversary of Attack
Hundreds of survivors and relatives of the dead gathered on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Friday to mark the 10th anniversary of bombings that killed 202 people. Security was tight, with more than 2,000 police and military guarding the service after police earlier this week reported a threat of an attack on dignitaries […]
Biden, Ryan Squaring Off in Vice Presidential Debate
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is about to square off against the Republican presidential challenger’s running mate, Representative Paul Ryan, in their only scheduled debate. The nationally televised event at a small college in Kentucky comes as Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is gaining momentum in voter opinion polls after his strong performance in last […]
World Bank Predicts Slowdown for Asian Economies
The World Bank has issued a report predicting an economic growth slowdown in Asia this year. Monday’s report says economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region may slow down by a full percentage point, from 8.2 percent in 2011 to 7.2 percent this year, before recovering to 7.6 percent in 2013. The new report also says […]
Terror Suspects Extradited from Britain Headed to U.S. Courts
Five suspected terrorists extradited overnight from Britain, including Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri, are expected to appear in U.S. courtrooms within 24 hours. Two U.S. planes arrived in the U.S. early Saturday, having departed a British Royal Air Force base immediately after the High Court rejected last-minute appeals by Hamza and the others. The five […]
Hamza’s Lawyer Says Alleged Terrorist Needs Medical Tests
A lawyer for accused terrorist Abu Hamza says his client should not be extradited from Britain to the United States before he gets an MRI scan, after suffering several years of poor health. Lawyer Alun Jones told a London court Tuesday that Abu Hamza’s health is deteriorating and said it would be “oppressive” to send […]
Pope’s Butler Speaks in Court of Betrayal
The former butler for Pope Benedict says he feels guilty for “having betrayed the trust of the Holy Father.” Paolo Gabriele, a 46-year-old father of three, appeared in a Vatican courtroom Tuesday on charges of aggravated theft for allegedly stealing some of the pontiff’s personal papers. Gabriele took the stand in his own defense and […]
Saakashvili: Georgia Election to Decide ‘Important and Crucial’ Question
Georgian President President Mikheil Saakashvili says Monday’s parliamentary election will decide a very important and crucial question about the country’s future. Voters are choosing candidates for 150 seats in parliament. Georgia has changed the constitution to give the prime minister many of the powers now held by the president. Parliament will name a new prime […]