WASHINGTON — President Obama returned to the White House from his summer break on Sunday determined to jump-start his struggling presidency by reasserting command of the health care debate and recalibrating expectations that some advisers believe got away from him. With his honeymoon seemingly over and his White House on the defensive, Mr. Obama faces what friends...Continue reading »
Category Archives: World News
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Young men spray hoses in a car-washing contest and play pool. Children make paper crowns in an art class, while their parents have a picnic. Alongside the fun and games, Muslim clerics answer questions about jihad or give lectures about the proper dress for women. This is Islamic summer camp, and it’s part of Saudi Arabia’s...Continue reading »
KUNDUZ, Afghanistan (Reuters) – NATO aircraft opened fire on hijacked fuel trucks in Afghanistan before dawn on Friday, killing as many as 90 people in an incident that could trigger a backlash against Western troops. NATO initially said it believed the casualties were all Taliban fighters, but later acknowledged that large numbers of civilians were being treated...Continue reading »
 A building is seen damaged by earthquake in the town of Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009. The powerful earthquake rattled a large swath of southern Indonesia on Wednesday, causing extensive damage to houses and buildings. (AP Photo/Faisal Amirudin) JAKARTA (Reuters) – A powerful earthquake killed at least 32 people and forced thousands...Continue reading »
War crimes suspect and notorious Somali pirate turn out for anniversary party The celebrations marking Colonel Gaddafi’s 40th anniversary as Libya’s dictator lit up the Tripoli sky last night as a number of international pariahs, described by one diplomat as a “gallery of grotesques”, gathered to enjoy a lavish parade, dance spectacles and fighter...Continue reading »
Nearly 60% of black and African people living in Russia’s capital Moscow have been physically assaulted in racially motivated attacks, says a new study. Africans working or studying in the city live in constant fear of attack, according to the report by the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy. A quarter of 200 people surveyed said they had been assaulted more than once....Continue reading »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The wildfire burning out of control in the mountains of Los Angeles doubled in size overnight on Monday and torched more structures on its march toward rural communities, officials said. Two firefighters died on Sunday in a vehicle accident while battling the blaze deep in the national forest. More than 2,500 firefighters are on the ground. The...Continue reading »
Japan's main opposition Democratic Party leader Yukio Hatoyama places a marker on a winning candidate's name, as results start to come in for Japan's lower house election, at the Democratic Party of Japan election headquarters in Tokyo August 30, 2009. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese voters swept the opposition to a historic victory...Continue reading »
The British government decided it was “in the overwhelming interests of the United Kingdom†to make Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, eligible for return to Libya, leaked ministerial letters reveal. Gordon Brown’s government made the decision after discussions between Libya and BP over a multi-million-pound oil exploration deal...Continue reading »
NEWARK, N.J. — A northern New Jersey mayor said he’s going to court Friday to stop renovation work at the mansion where Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi wants to stay next month when he addresses the United Nations General Assembly. “If the U.S. State Department won’t shut this down, we will,” Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes said. “New...Continue reading »
North Korean chief delegate of Red Cross, Choe Song-ik (L) and his South Korean counterpart Kim Young-chel walk to a conference hall at Mount Kumgang hotel in North Korea, August 28, 2009. SEOUL (Reuters) – The rival Koreas reached a deal on Friday to resume from September reunions of families torn apart by the 1950-53 Korean War, as the isolated North reaches out...Continue reading »
Veteran US Senator Edward Kennedy, the brother of ex-President John F Kennedy, has died at the age of 77 after battling a brain tumour. The Democratic Massachusetts senator was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour in May last year. He became a member of the Senate in 1962 to replace his brother when he resigned to become president, and was re-elected seven times. He...Continue reading »
OAK BLUFFS, Massachusetts (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Ben Bernanke to a second term as Federal Reserve chairman on Tuesday, aiming for continuity at a time when the U.S. economy is breaking free from a deep recession. Obama interrupted his vacation on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard to make the announcement with the 55-year-old...Continue reading »
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has moved more forcefully than ever to abandon Bush administration interrogation policies, approving creation of a special White House unit for questioning terrorism suspects, as Attorney General Eric Holder weighs whether to reopen and pursue prisoner abuse cases. A senior administration official told The Associated Press Monday...Continue reading »
TRIPOLI/LONDON (Reuters) – Britain dismissed suggestions of a link between the Lockerbie bomber’s release and energy deals with Libya Saturday, after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi embraced the man and thanked Britain. “The idea that the British government, the Libyan government, would sit down and somehow barter over the freedom or the life of this Libyan...Continue reading »
President Obama wished a blessed Ramadan to Muslims in and outside of the United States in a web video on Friday. He made particular notice of those fasting during the holiday and talked about action on swine flu, a concern for those making the hajj pilgrimage this year. The video is accompanied by a blog post from Rashad Hussain, deputy associate White House counsel: As...Continue reading »
KABUL (Reuters) – President Hamid Karzai’s campaign and chief rival Abdullah Abdullah both said on Friday they had won Afghanistan’s election, but Washington’s chief envoy warned candidates not to declare victory prematurely. Both camps said unofficial counts by campaign workers showed they had won enough votes to avoid a potentially destabilizing...Continue reading »
Libyan Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, who was sentenced to life in January 2001 for blowing up a New York-bound airliner and killing 270 passengers, crew and residents of the Scottish town of Lockerbie, sits during an appeal hearing at Camp Zeist, the Netherlands, March 14, 2002. EDINBURGH (Reuters) – A former Libyan agent jailed for life for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing...Continue reading »
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – A series of explosions killed at least 75 people and wounded more than 300 in central Baghdad on Wednesday, the deadliest day in the Iraqi capital since U.S. troops withdrew from urban centers in June. At least six bombs and mortar rounds struck near government ministries and other sensitive targets in quick succession, the latest in a series...Continue reading »
PARIS – French tourists heading to risky foreign destinations could be asked to foot the bill if the French government comes to their rescue. A draft law proposed by the foreign minister would oblige travelers to reimburse air fare and other costs incurred to rescue them from war zones, hostage-takings and other hostile situations. Officials say it’s aimed...Continue reading »
