Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says outside supporters of those he calls terrorists — including the United States, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar — are hindering peace in Syria. In an interview with German television Sunday, Mr. Assad accused the United States of being partially responsible for the deaths of civilians by partnering with the rebels. […]
International Donors Pledge $16 Billion to Afghanistan
Posted July 8th, 2012 at 3:00 pm (UTC-5)
International donors meeting in Tokyo have pledged $16 billion in development aid for Afghanistan over the next four years. The amount is in line with the $4 billion a year that Afghan President Hamid Karzai requested at Sunday’s conference. In his opening remarks, Mr. Karzai acknowledged that endemic corruption in Afghanistan has undermined previous aid […]
Karzai Opens Afghan Donors’ Conference With Pledge to Fight Corruption
Posted July 7th, 2012 at 10:25 pm (UTC-5)
Afghan President Hamid Karzai opened a major donor’s conference in Tokyo Sunday with a pledge to crack down on corruption in his country and a warning that instability in Afghanistan threatens the whole world. The conference is attended by senior world officials including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who earlier in Kabul offered assurances […]
103 Dead in Russian Storms, Crude Oil Shipments Halted
Posted July 7th, 2012 at 2:20 pm (UTC-5)
Russian officials say the death toll from flooding in the southern Krasnodarsky Krai region has risen to at least 103 after two days of torrential rain pounded the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to fly to the ravaged areas later Saturday. Authorities said the storms, floods and a landslide have affected thousands of […]
Voters Optimistic About Libya’s ‘Extraordinary’ Elections
Posted July 7th, 2012 at 1:55 pm (UTC-5)
Voters streamed into polling stations in Tripoli and across Libya Saturday, hoping the country’s first multi-party elections in 60 years mark the start of a new era. In some parts of the capital crowds began gathering more than an hour before polling places opened, amid scenes of jubilation and celebration seen in many major cities. […]
US Job Growth Weak in June
Posted July 6th, 2012 at 12:40 pm (UTC-5)
The sluggish U.S. labor market added just 80,000 new jobs in June, as the country’s jobless rate stayed at 8.2 percent. Some economists had projected that the American jobs market might regain more strength. But the government reported Friday that the American economy has now added an average of only 75,000 jobs a month over […]
Call for More Sanctions on Syria as Top Assad General Departs
Posted July 6th, 2012 at 9:10 am (UTC-5)
A group of over 100 nations pressing for an end to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s rule has called for “broader and tougher” sanctions against the Syrian government, as news emerged that a top general has abandoned the Damascus regime. Diplomats in Paris came up with their new call for sanctions a bid to end the […]
French FM: Friends of Syria Talks to Bring Practical Support to Syrian People
Posted July 5th, 2012 at 8:20 pm (UTC-5)
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says the Friends of Syria meeting in Paris will not be just abstract talks but are aimed at bringing practical support to the Syrian people. Delegates from about 100 countries and 100 members of the opposition will be in the French capital on Friday. Fabius tells Le Parisien newspaper that […]
Turkey Locates Bodies of Downed Jet’s Pilots
Posted July 4th, 2012 at 2:55 pm (UTC-5)
Turkey’s military says the bodies of both pilots of an F-4 jet shot down by Syrian forces last month have been found at the bottom of the eastern Mediterranean sea as violence continued across Syria. Relations between Ankara and Damascus deteriorated after Syria shot down the Turkish reconnaissance plane on June 22, with Turkey warning […]
Americans Celebrate Independence Day
Posted July 4th, 2012 at 1:25 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama has marked the nation’s Independence Day by welcoming 25 active duty U.S. service members as new American citizens. Mr. Obama said in a speech at the White House Wednesday that “immigration makes America stronger” and “positions America to lead in the 21st century.” The 25 who took the oath of allegiance […]
