May 1, 2012
Fighting Erupts in Mali
Witnesses in Mali say heavy gunfire has broken out in the capital, Bamako, about a month after a military coup d'état. The witnesses say the shoot-out on Monday involved troops who took part in the March coup and presidential guard members loyal to…
May 1, 2012
US Sends Japanese Turtle Smuggler to Prison
A court in Los Angeles on Monday sentenced a Japanese man to 21 months in prison for smuggling live turtles into the United States. Atsushi Yamagami was also ordered to pay an $18,000 fine. He pleaded guilty to charges of hiding 55 turtles and…
April 30, 2012
Suicide Bombing Kills 5 in Eastern Nigeria
Authorities in eastern Nigeria say a suicide bombing targeting a police official has killed at least five people. Officials said the explosion Monday in Jalingo, the capital of the largely peaceful Taraba state, was triggered near the state ministry…
April 30, 2012
Al-Qaida Offers Hostage Release for Freeing of Cleric
A statement on a militant website says al-Qaida's north African branch has offered to release a British man abducted in Mali if Britain frees radical Islamist cleric Abu Qatada. The statement attributed to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM),…
April 30, 2012
Gunmen Kill 15 During Christian Service in Northern Nigeria
Gunmen in northern Nigeria attacked a university theater used for church services, killing at least 15 people. Security officials say the gunmen threw small explosives into the site at Bayero University in Kano on Sunday, then fired on worshippers…
April 30, 2012
Burma Opposition Ends Boycott
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said Monday she and her fellow opposition lawmakers have ended their boycott of parliament and will pledge to “safeguard” the constitution, accepting a term that created the dispute. Aung San Suu Kyi and…
April 27, 2012
Charles Taylor Convicted of War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity
Former Liberian president Charles Taylor has been found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a special tribunal in The Hague. The Special Court for Sierra Leone ruled Thursday that Taylor aided and abetted severe human rights abuses…
April 27, 2012
UN’s Ban: Syria Violating Pledge to Pull Weapons From Civilian Areas
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has accused Syria of violating a pledge to withdraw heavy weapons from population centers and demanded that the government comply with that commitment “without delay.” In a statement released Thursday,…
April 26, 2012
China Said Unable to Protect Pyongyang After Nuclear Test
China's state-controlled media say Beijing will not be able to shield North Korea from the diplomatic consequences if it conducts a third nuclear test. The warning appears Thursday in a commentary in Global Times, which is affiliated with China's…
April 26, 2012
Pakistani PM Convicted of Contempt But Spared Prison
The showdown between Pakistan's highest court and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is over, with the court convicting Mr. Gilani of contempt. The Supreme Court issued its verdict Thursday in Islamabad, ruling the prime minister openly defied the…