The International Monetary Fund says Greece has missed several financial targets it pledged to adopt as it secured its second bailout earlier this year. The IMF did say Greece kept some promises linked to the $159 billion rescue package from the IMF and its European neighbors. Greece’s new coalition government is seeking to renegotiate the […]
Russia Vows to Reject Sanctions on Syria
Posted July 12th, 2012 at 12:15 pm (UTC-5)
Russia says it will not vote for sanctions on Syria to try to end the violence there, as Western powers are demanding. At the U.N. Security Council, Britain, France, Germany and the United States said Thursday that sanctions must be invoked against Damascus within 10 days unless the Syrian military stops using heavy weapons against […]
Militants Attack Village in NW Pakistan
Posted July 12th, 2012 at 10:45 am (UTC-5)
Pakistani officials say dozens of militants from Afghanistan crossed into Pakistan and attacked a village in the country’s northwest. At least eight militants were killed in ensuing clashes with security forces, while at least two soldiers were wounded. In other violence, gunmen killed nine policemen at a security compound in eastern Pakistan, the second attack […]
Syrian Ambassador to Iraq Defects; Joins Opposition
Posted July 12th, 2012 at 10:25 am (UTC-5)
Syria’s ambassador to Iraq has defected and joined the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. In a statement broadcast on the Arabic-language television network al-Jazeera, Nawaf Fares urged members of the military to join him, saying there is no honor in killing one’s own people. He also said the government has used the ruling Ba’ath […]
Gunmen Kill 9 Policemen at Compound in Pakistan
Posted July 12th, 2012 at 8:15 am (UTC-5)
Gunmen have killed nine policemen at a security compound in eastern Pakistan, the second deadly attack claimed by the Pakistani Taliban in that region in recent days. Police say gunmen on motorcycles raided the compound early Thursday in the city of Lahore and opened fire wounding three policemen. Police say they suspect the same gunmen […]
China Signals Readiness for South China Sea Talks
Posted July 12th, 2012 at 6:15 am (UTC-5)
U.S. officials say China may be prepared for talks with its neighbors on a code of conduct for resolving territorial disputes in the South China Sea. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held in talks in Cambodia Thursday with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who U.S. officials say cautiously signaled his country’s willingness to take […]
Syrian Ambassador to Iraq Defects; Joins Rebels
Posted July 12th, 2012 at 5:20 am (UTC-5)
Syria’s ambassador to Iraq has defected and joined the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. In a statement broadcast on the Arabic-language television network Al-Jazeera, Nawaf Fares urged members of the military to join him, saying there is no honor in killing one’s own people. He also said the government has used the ruling Ba’ath […]
Gunmen Kill 9 Policemen at Compound in Pakistan
Posted July 12th, 2012 at 4:10 am (UTC-5)
Gunmen have killed nine policemen at a security compound in eastern Pakistan, the second deadly attack claimed by the Pakistani Taliban in that region in recent days. Police say gunmen on motorcycles raided the compound early Thursday in the city of Lahore and opened fire. At least three policemen were wounded. The victims, undergoing police […]
Syrian Ambassador to Iraq Defects; Joins Rebels
Posted July 11th, 2012 at 9:30 pm (UTC-5)
Syria’s ambassador to Iraq, Nawaf Fares, has defected and says he has joined the revolution. In a statement broadcast on the Arabic-language television network Al-Jazeera, Fares announced he is resigning from the ruling Ba’ath Party. He said the government has used it as a tool to oppress the Syrian people and their aspirations to freedom […]
Opposition: Syrian Ambassador to Iraq Defects
Posted July 11th, 2012 at 8:30 pm (UTC-5)
The Syrian opposition says the ambassador to Iraq has defected. If confirmed, Nawaf Fares would be the highest-ranking diplomat to flee Bashar al-Assad’s government since the deadly rebel uprising began 16 months ago. There has been no confirmation from Damascus or Baghdad. Several top military officers also have defected, as well as a large number […]
