January 4, 2013
Suspected US Drone Strike Kills Top Militant Commander in Pakistan
Pakistani security officials say recent U.S. drone strikes in tribal regions bordering Afghanistan have killed at least 14 al-Qaida-linked militants, including a top militant commander. Officials say several missiles were fired before dawn on…
January 2, 2013
President Obama praises US ‘fiscal cliff’ deal
Barack Obama has hailed a deal reached to stave off a "fiscal cliff" of drastic taxation and spending measures as "just one step in the broader effort to strengthen the economy". The US president was speaking after the House of Representatives…
January 2, 2013
Thousands in Hong Kong Protest Against China-Backed Leader
Thousands of protesters in Hong Kong are calling for the city's scandal-ridden chief executive to step down and demanding that China allow them to elect their own leaders. Police say about 17,000 protesters joined a New Year's Day march through the…
January 2, 2013
60 Crushed to Death in Ivory Coast
Officials in Ivory Coast say at least 60 people were crushed to death during a stampede at a New Year's celebration in Abidjan. At least 50 others were injured in the incident, which took place early Tuesday in the Plateau district, at a stadium…
January 2, 2013
US Oil Rig Grounded Off Alaska
A huge Shell Oil drilling rig has run aground in a storm off the rugged coast of the remote U.S. state of Alaska. The U.S. Coast Guard said the Kulluk broke free from the ship handling it in rough seas in the Gulf of Alaska on New Year's Eve and…
January 2, 2013
Syria Begins New Year With More Violence
Syrian government troops and rebel forces fought Tuesday on the outskirts of Damascus and near the city of Aleppo. Government aircraft pounded eastern suburbs of the capital and rebel-held areas of Aleppo, the country's commercial hub. Authorities…
December 27, 2012
Syrian Delegation in Russia For Talking on Ending Unrest
A Syrian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Maqdad has begun talks in Moscow on resolving Syria's 21-month-old uprising. The group arrived on Thursday for meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The delegation is expected…
December 27, 2012
Trade with China Expanded Rapidly in 2011: Seoul
A new report says North Korea's trade with China accounted for more than 70 percent of its total commerce last year, as the isolated nation deepens its reliance on its only major ally. South Korea's national statistics office said Thursday that…
December 23, 2012
Somali troops ‘free’ 22 hostages held by pirates
Twenty-two hostages seized by pirates nearly three years ago have been freed, the authorities in Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland say. They said their maritime force began the operation to free the hostages - and their ship - nearly two…
December 23, 2012
Egyptian constitution ‘approved’ in referendum
Egyptians appear to have approved a controversial new constitution in a referendum, unofficial and preliminary results indicate. Results reported by state media suggest that some 63% of voters backed the charter over two rounds of polling. Critics…