U.S. President Barack Obama has refused to confirm whether a blind Chinese dissident, who recently escaped from house arrest in Beijing, is under U.S. protection. In response to a reporter’s question Monday, President Obama said he would not make a statement on the situation of Chen Guangchen. U.S. officials have expressed concern about Chen’s fate, […]
Obama Refuses Comment on Chinese Dissident
Posted April 30th, 2012 at 6:00 pm (UTC-5)
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Indian Ferry Capsizes Killing 103, Many Others Missing
Posted April 30th, 2012 at 4:55 pm (UTC-5)
Indian officials say heavy rain and darkness have temporarily halted rescue operations after at least 103 people drowned when an overcrowded ferry capsized on one of India’s largest rivers. Efforts to find more than 100 people still missing are set to resume Tuesday morning. Jayanta Choudhury, the police chief of Assam state, where the boat […]
US, Japanese Leaders to Push for Stronger Alliance
Posted April 30th, 2012 at 3:15 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda have announced a new joint vision designed to both strengthen their countries’ alliance that has weakened in recent years and help shape the Asia Pacific region. Speaking alongside Mr. Noda Monday, President Obama said the alliance will remain the foundation of security and prosperity for […]
Ukraine Calls Boycotts of Euro Football Tournament ‘Cold War Tactic’
Posted April 30th, 2012 at 1:25 pm (UTC-5)
((new info grafs 2 and 11) Ukraine has characterized as “Cold War tactics” a move by top European Union officials to boycott events in Ukraine in protest of the imprisonment and treatment of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Voloshin says he hopes reports that German Chancellor Angela Merkel will skip […]
Burma Opposition Ends Boycott as UN Chief Addresses Parliament
Posted April 30th, 2012 at 8:20 am (UTC-5)
Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her opposition National League for Democracy party have ended their week-long boycott of parliament, after accepting oath-of-office language that calls on her party to “safeguard” the constitution. The Nobel laureate and 42 other NLD colleagues will enter Burma’s parliament for the first time Wednesday. They had objected […]
Suicide Bombing Kills 5 in Eastern Nigeria
Posted April 30th, 2012 at 7:00 am (UTC-5)
Authorities in eastern Nigeria say a suicide bombing targeting a police official has killed at least five people. Officials said the explosion Monday in Jalingo, the capital of the largely peaceful Taraba state, was triggered near the state ministry of finance and police headquarters. The police official was not harmed. The attack comes a day […]
Top UN Truce Monitor in Syria, Urges Halt to Killings
Posted April 29th, 2012 at 6:50 pm (UTC-5)
The newly appointed head of the United Nations observer mission in Syria has called on President Bashar al-Assad’s troops and the opposition to stop fighting and allow a tenuous cease-fire to take hold. Major General Robert Mood arrived in the capital, Damascus, on Sunday to lead an advance team of 30 unarmed U.N. observers tasked […]
Kidnapped British Red Cross Doctor Beheaded in Pakistan
Posted April 29th, 2012 at 4:45 pm (UTC-5)
The beheaded body of a British Red Cross doctor was found by the roadside in southwestern Pakistan Sunday, nearly four months after he was kidnapped by suspected militants. Police in Quetta, the capital of insurgency-hit Baluchistan province, said a note was found with the body in which the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility, saying the doctor […]
Witnesses: 15 Killed During Christian Service in Northern Nigeria
Posted April 29th, 2012 at 10:35 am (UTC-5)
Witnesses in northern Nigeria say attackers tossed homemade bombs at worshippers during a Christian service and then opened fired as they tried to flee, killing at least 15 people. Security officials say the gunmen were riding motorcycles when they launched an assault at Bayero University in Kano, where the service was taking place on Sunday. […]
4 Killed in Attack on Afghan Governor Compound
Posted April 28th, 2012 at 4:10 pm (UTC-5)
Two attackers hiding handguns in their shoes infiltrated a compound of the governor of Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province Saturday, sparking a fierce gunbattle that left two guards and both assailants dead. Governor Tooryalai Wesa, the apparent target of the attack, was not hurt. He said afterwards that the militants passed through two security checks without […]
