U.S. Senator John McCain is in Burma to confer with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and to assess the new government’s commitment to democratic reforms. The senator launched his three-day visit Wednesday, meet with Burmese Vice President Aung Myint Oo in Naypyitaw, the Burmese administrative capital, and plans to meet with Aung San Suu […]
Israelis Mark Anniversary of Capture of Jerusalem
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:55 pm (UTC-5)
Thousands of Israelis have turned out for a “Flag March” celebration, commemorating the day when Israel seized control of East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War. Participants marched through the city waving blue and white Israeli flags on Wednesday in a procession that ended at the Western Wall, a Jewish holy site. Israeli media […]
Blatter Re-Elected to FIFA Presidency
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:50 pm (UTC-5)
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been re-elected as head of football’s world governing body after being the only candidate remaining in an election dogged by corruption allegations. The 75-year-old Swiss earned his fourth term Wednesday after receiving 186 out of the 203 votes cast at the FIFA Congress in Zurich. Blatter’s only rival, Asian football […]
NATO Extends Its Libya Mission
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:45 pm (UTC-5)
NATO says it is extending its military mission in Libya for 90 days, as Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi refuses to step down despite a popular uprising, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen made the announcement Wednesday. He said the move is meant to send a clear message to the Gadhafi government that the pressure to oust […]
Economic Concerns Send US Stocks Sliding
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:45 pm (UTC-5)
Concerns about job creation and a slowing U.S. economic recovery pushed the major stock indexes lower in Wednesday’s midday trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid almost 1.5 percent. The S&P 500 index fell 1.4 percent. And the NASDAQ dropped almost 1.3 percent. European stock prices also fell, closing lower. London’s Financial Times index dipped […]
Gates Says Afghan Warnings Reflect “Pain” of War
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:40 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says warnings about civilian casualties from Afghan President Hamid Karzai reflect the “pain and suffering” the Afghan people have endured after 30 years of war. Gates told reporters late Tuesday that it is important for both sides to jointly investigate civilian casualties and that Mr. Karzai and the Afghan people […]
IAEA: Japan Underestimated Tsunami Threat
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:15 pm (UTC-5)
International experts say Japan underestimated the threat posed by tsunamis to its nuclear power plants, but praised Tokyo’s overall response to the massive earthquake and tidal waves that devastated the country’s coastal northeast nearly three months ago. The preliminary critique from the International Atomic Energy Agency was issued Wednesday by a team of 18 experts. […]
Belarus Asks IMF for Rescue Loan of Up to $8 Bn
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:05 pm (UTC-5)
Belarus is requesting a new economic rescue loan from the International Monetary Fund to help it cope with a deepening financial crisis. Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich said Wednesday the government has asked for an IMF loan between $3.5 billion and $8 billion for the next three to five years. Belarus last received an IMF […]
US Economic Recovery Struggles to Gain Momentum
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 11:30 am (UTC-5)
The U.S. economic recovery is struggling to gain momentum, with new reports showing slower growth in job creation and the manufacturing sector. Payroll processor ADP said Wednesday private companies added only 38,000 jobs in May. ADP also said fewer private sector jobs had been created in April than previously thought. A separate survey by the […]
Pakistan’s Spy Agency Denies Involvement in Journalist’s Death
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 11:30 am (UTC-5)
Hundreds of people are mourning the death of a Pakistani journalist, as the country’s spy agency denies involvement in his torture and killing. Syed Saleem Shahzad was buried in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Wednesday, as relatives, journalists and local politicians looked on. Shahzad’s body was found about 200 kilometers from Islamabad on […]
