December 24, 2013
Amid Darkness in the World, Jesus Brings Light so says Pope Francis
Pope Benedict has urged the world's 1.2 billion Catholics to rejoice this Christmas because "Jesus is the light who brightens the darkness" and brings peace. The pontiff delivered his first Christmas Eve homily as pope during a Mass at St. Peter's…
December 24, 2013
Bomb Blast Hits Egyptian Police Building
A powerful bomb has ripped through a police headquarters in Egypt's Nile Delta region. Authorities say at least 13 people were killed and 130 were wounded. Officials say most of the blast victims in the city of Mansoura were police. They believe a…
December 24, 2013
Clashes in Gaza between Israel, Palestinians
Israel has launched a series of attacks in the Gaza Strip, in apparent retaliation for the cross-border killing of an Israeli civilian by a Gaza sniper. Israel said it launched the attacks from the air and on the ground, targeting what it called…
December 24, 2013
Snowden: “Mission Accomplished”
Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden says his mission is "already accomplished," after revealing details of the NSA's surveillance programs. Snowden, who is living under temporary asylum in Moscow, told the Washington Post said…
December 24, 2013
Syrian Airstrikes HIt Aleppo for 10th Day
Syrian government air strikes on rebel-held areas of Aleppo continued for a tenth straight day, leaving at least 15 people dead. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian aircraft dropped so called "barrel bombs" on the…
December 19, 2013
US Transfers 2 Guantanamo Detainees to Sudan
The United States has sent two detainees who were held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility back to their native Sudan. The U.S. has sped up efforts to transfer detainees out of Guantanamo, roughly half of the remaining 158 detainees have been…
December 19, 2013
U.S. Prosecutor Says Indian Diplomat Was Well-Treated in Custody
A U.S. federal prosecutor in the case against an Indian diplomat facing visa fraud charges says the diplomat was well-treated while in detention, contrary to her claims. Addressing a case that has strained U.S.-Indian relations, Manhattan U.S.…
December 19, 2013
Erdogan: Corruption Probe ‘Dirty Operation’
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says a corruption probe in which dozens of people have been detained is part of a "dirty operation" against his administration, linking it to a summer of anti-government protests. Mr. Erdogan's comments…
December 19, 2013
Panel Recommends Limits on NSA Spying
A special panel appointed by President Barack Obama has released its report on U.S. surveillance activities. Obama ordered the report and a wider government-wide review earlier this year amid leaks by exiled former National Security Agency…
December 19, 2013
UK to airlift Britons from South Sudan amid fighting
The UK has sent an aircraft to South Sudan to evacuate Britons amid fighting following a reported "coup attempt". The Foreign Office said British nationals in the country should make contact if they wish to leave from Juba airport on Thursday. There…