December 12, 2013
White House says Obama-Castro handshake ‘not planned’
President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro's handshake at Nelson Mandela's memorial service was unplanned, the White House has said. White House aide Ben Rhodes told reporters the two exchanged nothing more substantive than a greeting.…
December 12, 2013
North Korean leader’s uncle ‘executed over corruption’
The once-powerful uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been executed after being purged for corruption, state news agency KCNA reports. Chang Song-thaek was dramatically removed from a Communist Party session by armed guards earlier this…
December 12, 2013
Mexico’s Congress approves measure to open oil resources
Mexico's Congress has approved a measure to open the state-run oil fields to foreign investment for the first time in 75 years, following a vote by the Senate earlier this week. The programme would let private firms explore and extract oil and gas…
December 12, 2013
Japan’s Cabinet Approves $53 Billion Stimulus
Japan's Cabinet has approved a $53 billion stimulus package to help offset the effects of an upcoming national sales tax hike. The stimulus spending measure passed Thursday is part of a supplementary budget for Japan's current fiscal year. The…
December 12, 2013
Iceland jails former Kaupthing bank bosses
Four former bosses from the Icelandic bank Kaupthing have been sentenced to between three and five years in prison. They are the former chief executive, the chairman of the board, one of the majority owners and the chief executive of the Luxembourg…
December 12, 2013
S Africa investigates ‘fake signer’ security checks
South Africa's deputy disability minister says the government is investigating how a man who faked sign language at the Mandela memorial was given security clearance. Thamsanqa Jantjie, who stood alongside world leaders at the event, has denied…
December 12, 2013
Opposition Leader Hanged for War Crimes in Bangladesh
Bangladesh on Thursday executed an opposition leader convicted of war crimes hours after the Supreme Court rejected his last-minute appeal. Bangladeshi officials confirmed that Abdul Qader Mollah was hanged to death at 10:01 p.m. local time. A VOA…
December 12, 2013
Yemen wedding hit by deadly air strike
At least 13 people have been killed by an air strike on a wedding convoy in southern Yemen, say officials. The attack happened near the town of Radda in al-Bayda province, a known stronghold of al-Qaeda. It was unclear what aircraft carried out the…
December 12, 2013
‘American Hustle’, ’12 Years a Slave’ Lead Golden Globes
The 71st Golden Globe Award nominations are here, with historical drama 12 Years a Slave and the 1970s con-artist caper American Hustle leading with seven nominations each. The nominations were announced in California by the Hollywood Foreign Press…
December 12, 2013
Somali President Taps Economist for PM
Somalia's president has nominated a Somali-Canadian economist, Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, to be the country's next prime minister. In a statement Thursday, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Ahmed is the man "best equipped" to lead Somalia through…