The U.N.-Arab League special envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, says further militarization in the country “will make the situation worse.” Annan spoke Thursday in Cairo where he met with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby. The former U.N. chief is due to visit Syria later this week. Meanwhile, Syria’s deputy oil minister resigned his post to […]
Annan Opposes Further Militarization in Syria
Posted March 8th, 2012 at 6:35 am (UTC-5)
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China Drops Plan to Legalize Secret Detentions
Posted March 8th, 2012 at 6:35 am (UTC-5)
China’s parliament has dropped controversial plans to legalize the detention of suspects in secret locations, following a public outcry over an increase in forced disappearances by police. The latest draft of China’s Criminal Procedure Law introduced Thursday at the National People’s Congress removed a clause that would allow police to secretly “disappear” criminal suspects deemed […]
Mexican Judge Proposes Release French National Serving Kidnapping Sentence
Posted March 8th, 2012 at 6:05 am (UTC-5)
WEB: TYPE: CN )) French President Nicolas Sarkozy has welcomed a motion by Mexico’s Supreme Court justice to release a Frenchwoman serving a 60-year sentence for kidnapping. The French leader was quoted Thursday as saying, the decision to overturn Florence Cassez sentence was “the first good news in five and half years”. The judge said […]
US-Korean Food Aid Talks End With Progress, No Deal
Posted March 8th, 2012 at 6:00 am (UTC-5)
Two days of talks have broken off in Beijing without a deal for the United States to send food aid to North Korea. U.S. negotiator Robert King said Thursday the sides had made good progress on a deal to provide 240,000 tons of emergency food, and and that he would return to Washington to discuss […]
Purported Syrian Official Resigns in Protest
Posted March 8th, 2012 at 4:30 am (UTC-5)
A man claiming to be Syria’s deputy oil minister has appeared in a YouTube video saying he resigned his post to join the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad. He identified himself as Abdo Husameddine, and said that after 33 years of working for the government he does not want to end his career serving the […]
Continental Airline to Begin Appeal in Concorde Jet Crash Conviction
Posted March 8th, 2012 at 3:05 am (UTC-5)
U.S.-based Continental Airlines is set to begin its appeal of an involuntary manslaughter conviction and fine involving a deadly crash of a Concorde supersonic jet in 2000. Reuters say the case will be heard Thursday in France. The court ruled Continental was responsible for a strip of titanium from one of the company’s planes being […]
Clinton: China Should Use its Power for Good
Posted March 8th, 2012 at 1:50 am (UTC-5)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is urging China to use its growing global influence to play a “constructive role” in world affairs. Clinton spoke in Washington Wednesday at an event marking the 40th anniversary of former President Richard Nixon’s groundbreaking 1972 trip to China. She says Beijing can no longer be what she calls […]
Apple Unveils New iPad and TV Device
Posted March 8th, 2012 at 1:40 am (UTC-5)
The Apple computer company introduced a new version of its popular iPad Wednesday. “Today we’re announcing the new iPad and it is amazing. We’ve taken it to a whole new level and we are redefining the category that Apple created with the original iPad. It makes amazing improvements over the most fundamental features of the […]
UN Aid Chief Continues Syria Talks After Baba Amr Visit
Posted March 8th, 2012 at 12:45 am (UTC-5)
The U.N. humanitarian chief is expected to meet with Syrian officials and humanitarian representatives in Damascus Thursday, a day after touring the former rebel stronghold of Baba Amr. A spokeswoman for Valerie Amos said Wednesday she found parts of the district “completely devastated,” and that few people were around – most having fled to nearby […]
Suspect in Australian Collar-Bomb Hoax Pleads Guilty
Posted March 8th, 2012 at 12:45 am (UTC-5)
An Australian investment banker has pleaded guilty in the “collar bomb” extortion scheme that caused worldwide notoriety last year. Paul Douglas Peters appeared in a Sydney courtroom on a video screen from prison as his lawyer entered the plea on a charge of aggravated breaking and entering. Bill Pulver, the father of Peters’ teenaged victim, […]
