December 22, 2011
Kobe with torn wrist ligament; status for opener unclear
Kobe Bryant did not play in the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason finale against the Clippers on Wednesday night because of a torn ligament in his right wrist, and his status for the season opener on Christmas Day is up in the air. A MRI revealed the…
December 22, 2011
Mexico disbands Veracruz-Boca del Rio police force
An entire municipal police force in Mexico has been disbanded as part of a campaign to root out corruption and improve security in the face of drug-related violence. More than 900 officers in Veracruz-Boca del Rio are losing their jobs. The…
December 22, 2011
Mexico Maya begin 2012 ‘end of era’ countdown
Indigenous Maya communities in southern Mexico have begun a year-long countdown to 21 December 2012, which will mark the end of a five-millenia cycle in the ancient Mayan calendar. Some people have interpreted the prophecy as predicting the…
December 22, 2011
MF Global’s missing $700 million could be in UK
The bankruptcy court trustee in the MF Global case has identified $700 million in U.S. customer funds that were sent to the United Kingdom before the collapse of the commodities and futures trader. But while the trustee said he would be trying to…
December 22, 2011
BofA settles unfair lending claims for $335 million
The Justice Department announced a $335 million settlement with Bank of America Wednesday over discriminatory lending practice at Countrywide Financial. Attorney General Eric Holder said a federal probe found discrimination against at least…
December 22, 2011
Malaysia to liberalise foreign ownership of banks
Malaysia has announced plans to allow more foreign investment in the banking sector in a bid to boost economic growth. It said the government will be more flexible in letting foreigners hold stakes in banks and will also issue banking licences to…
December 22, 2011
Iraq bombs kill at least 10 in Baghdad
A series of apparently co-ordinated explosions in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, has killed at least 10 people and injured dozens more, say officials. The interior ministry said 13 locations had been attacked, with two roadside bombs in Halawi district…
December 22, 2011
Blasts Kill 4 in Iraq as Political Crisis Continues
Iraqi officials say several explosions have hit the capital, Baghdad, killing at least seven people as a political crisis continues in the country following the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Authorities said the deadly blasts Thursday hit across the…
December 22, 2011
French Parliament to Vote on Armenian Genocide Bill
The French parliament is expected to approve a controversial bill Thursday making it a crime to publicly deny the killing of Armenians by troops of Turkey's former Ottoman Empire nearly a century ago. In response, Turkey says it may recall its…
December 22, 2011
HRW: 24 Killed in DRC Since Kabila Election Victory
An international rights group says Congolese security forces have killed at least 24 people since President Joseph Kabila was announced the winner of an election that international observers have deemed seriously flawed. Human Rights Watch Thursday…