December 17, 2011
Senate approves two-month extension of payroll tax cut
Senate lawmakers on Saturday voted overwhelmingly to extend the payroll…
December 17, 2011
At least 436 dead after storm pummels Philippines
At least 436 people are dead after Tropical Storm Washi pummeled the Philippines, Red Cross Secretary General Gwen Pang said Saturday. The vast majority of the bodies were found in the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, according to military…
December 17, 2011
Arab League Plan for Syria May Go to UN Security Council
The Arab League may ask the U.N. Security Council to adopt an Arab peace plan aimed at ending Syria's violent crackdown on anti-government protesters. Qatar's Prime Minister said Saturday that Syria is delaying its response to the Arab peace…
December 17, 2011
Tunisians Rally on Anniversary of Uprising
Thousands of Tunisians rallied Saturday to celebrate the first anniversary of the popular uprising that sent the former president into exile, ending decades of dictatorship, and sparked revolutions across the Arab world. The crowd gathered…
December 17, 2011
State of Emergency in Kazakhstan After Deadly Protests
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has declared a state of emergency in the western city of Zhanaozen, where Kazakhstan's independence celebrations turned deadly. Mr. Nazarbayev ordered the presidential decree on Saturday, a day after at least…
December 16, 2011
Italy’s Monti faces confidence vote over austerity
The government of Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti faces a confidence vote in parliament as it seeks to pass crucial austerity measures. His government needs approval for a 33bn euro ($43bn; £27bn) package of cuts and reforms intended to…
December 16, 2011
US Republicans Hold Final Debate before Iowa Caucus
U.S. Republican presidential hopefuls debated Thursday in the politically influential midwestern state of Iowa, where the national nominating process begins in less than three weeks. Republican contenders used much of the two-hour debate to…
December 16, 2011
ICC: Gadhafi’s Death May Be War Crime
The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor says there are “serious suspicions” that the death of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was a war crime. Luis Moreno-Ocampo made the comments Thursday at a press briefing at the United Nations.…
December 16, 2011
Lawmakers Agree on $1 Trillion Deal to Avert Shutdown
U.S. lawmakers say they have reached deal to fund the federal government through the end of the fiscal year, just a day before parts of the government would have been forced to stop operating. Lawmakers announced the $1 trillion deal late Thursday…
December 16, 2011
Lagarde: No country’s economy immune from rising risks
IMF head Christine Lagarde has said the world economic outlook is "gloomy" and no country is immune from rising risks. She said all nations, starting with Europe, needed to head off a crisis with risks of a global depression. "There is no economy in…