Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Unknown attackers fire at Cairo protesters, nine hurt

Unknown attackers fire at Cairo protesters, nine hurt

Unknown attackers fire at Cairo protesters, nine hurt

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 12:13 AM PST

An Anti-Mursi protester, wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, stands in front of the presidential palace in CairoCAIRO (Reuters) - Nine people were hurt when unknown attackers fired at protesters camping at Tahrir Square in central Cairo on Tuesday, according to witnesses and Egyptian media, as opponents and supporters of President Mohamed Mursi's plans to vote on a new constitution geared up for a day of street demonstrations. Police cars surrounded the square, the first time they had appeared in the area since November 23, shortly after a decree by the Islamist president giving himself sweeping temporary powers touched off widespread protests. ...

Mexican president confident of key reforms in 2013

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 11:26 PM PST

Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto speaks with Reuters at the presidential palace in Mexico CityMEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said on Monday he is confident that reforms to shake up state oil giant Pemex and the country's tax regime, key planks of his drive to accelerate economic growth, will be approved in 2013. The youthful Pena Nieto took office on December 1 pledging to fire up the economy after years of underperformance, during which it fell behind its big Latin American peer Brazil. ...

Mali PM quits after arrest, may hurt intervention plan

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 12:02 AM PST

File photo of Mali's PM Diarra attending a meeting with political figures from northern Mali in BamakoBAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's prime minister announced his resignation on Tuesday, hours after being arrested by soldiers while trying to leave the divided and unstable West African nation for France. The development in the Sahel state, whose desert north was occupied by al Qaeda-linked Islamists following a March coup, seemed likely to complicate African and international efforts to organise a military intervention to reunite the country. ...

Japan's LDP, partner on track for big election win: surveys

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 09:59 PM PST

TOKYO/TAKATSUKI (Reuters) - Conservative former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its smaller ally are heading for a resounding victory in Sunday's election, winning more than 300 seats in parliament's 480-member lower house, media surveys showed on Tuesday. Abe, 58, who resigned abruptly as premier in 2007 after a troubled year in office, is pushing the Bank of Japan (BOJ) for more powerful monetary stimulus and promises to boost public works to rev up a stagnant economy. ...

North Korea "dismantling rocket to fix technical glitch"

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 12:45 AM PST

File photo of a rocket on a launch pad at the West Sea Satellite Launch Site in the northwest of PyongyangSEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has started to dismantle a controversial long-range rocket on its launch pad in an apparent move to fix a technical problem but still looks likely to go ahead with the launch, South Korean news reports and experts said on Tuesday. North Korea says the launch is to put a weather satellite in orbit but critics say it is aimed at nurturing the kind of technology needed to mount a nuclear warhead on a long-range missile. ...

Analysis: Japan's Abe gets second chance at loosening limits on military

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 11:14 PM PST

File picture shows then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arriving at a news conference in TokyoTOKYO (Reuters) - A likely win by Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democrats in this weekend's election will give the ex-Japanese premier a second chance to achieve his goal of easing the limits of a pacifist constitution on the military to let Tokyo play a bigger global security role. Surveys released on Tuesday showed the conservative Liberal Democratic Party and its ally are headed for a big victory in Sunday's vote for parliament's lower house, returning them to power after a three-year gap. As prime minister in 2006-2007, Abe made revising the 1947 constitution a key part of a drive to shed a U.S. ...

Mandela "responding to treatment" for lung infection

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 01:18 AM PST

Former South African president Nelson Mandela looks on as he celebrates his birthday at his house in QunuJOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Former South African President Nelson Mandela, in hospital for tests since Saturday, has suffered a recurrence of a lung infection but is responding to treatment, a government statement said on Tuesday. "Doctors have concluded the tests, and these have revealed a recurrence of a previous lung infection, for which Madiba is receiving appropriate treatment and he is responding to the treatment," the statement said. 'Madiba' is Mandela's clan name. ...

Quake hits near Indonesian islands of Moluccas

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 10:40 PM PST

(Reuters) - A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the Indonesian islands of the Moluccas on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake, centered 118 km (73 miles) west of Ternate in the Moluccas, struck at a depth of 33 km at 0618 GMT (1.18 a.m. EST), the USGS said in a preliminary report. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. (Reporting by Lincoln Feast; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Pentagon reports Taliban attacks up during Afghan fighting season

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 02:34 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Attacks by Taliban insurgents rose slightly during the main part of the Afghan fighting season this year as some U.S. forces withdrew and the transition to a lead role for Afghan security forces picked up pace, according to a Pentagon report released on Monday. The report to Congress downplayed the rise in violence, saying the key measure was a dramatic increase in security in the country's main cities. While acknowledging the Taliban can still carry out attacks at the same levels as last year, the report said the greatest threats to stability were elsewhere. ...

Egypt's president behaves like his predecessors

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 01:20 PM PST

Boys sit in front of graffiti and Arabic, bottom, that reads, "regime you're afraid of a paint brush and a pen," in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. The Egyptian military on Monday assumed joint responsibility with the police for security and protecting state institutions until the results of a Dec. 15 constitutional referendum are announced. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)The freshly scrawled graffiti depicting Mohammed Morsi as a pharaonic Saddam Hussein tells the tale of high hopes dashed with record speed: Barely six months after becoming Egypt's first democratically elected president, the Islamist is widely accused of abandoning pledges of inclusive government for doctrinaire and authoritarian ways.

Egypt's military takes over security ahead of vote

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 01:34 PM PST

Soldiers stand guard by an armored vehicle in front of the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. The Egyptian military on Monday assumed joint responsibility with the police for security and protecting state institutions until the results of a Dec. 15 constitutional referendum are announced. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)Egypt's military assumed responsibility Monday for protecting state institutions and maintaining security ahead of a Dec. 15 constitutional referendum, as the country braced for another round of mass demonstrations by the supporters of the country's Islamist president and the liberal opposition over the disputed charter.

Officials: Nelson Mandela has lung infection

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 01:15 AM PST

South Africa's presidency says former President Nelson Mandela is suffering from a recurring lung infection and is responding to treatment.

Crashes raise concern about Pakistani air force

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 10:50 PM PST

FILE - In this Nov. 14, 2011, file photo, villagers stand near wreckage of a Pakistani air force fighter jet that crashed in Attock near Islamabad, Pakistan. Over a dozen Pakistani air force planes have crashed in roughly the past 18 months, raising concerns about the health of an aging fleet that officials are struggling to upgrade because of a lack of funds. A significant number of the air force's combat aircraft are nearly half a century old and have been called on in recent years to help the army fight a domestic Taliban insurgency that has killed thousands of people. This has added to the strain on a force that has historically focused on countering the threat from Pakistan's neighbor and archenemy, India. (AP Photo/Ghulam Shabbir, File)Over a dozen Pakistani air force planes have crashed in roughly the past 18 months, raising concerns about the health of an aging fleet that officials are struggling to upgrade because of a lack of funds.

Mali's PM resigns after being arrested by junta

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 11:49 PM PST

In this still frame made from video provided by ORTM Mali TV, Mali's Prime Minister Cheikh Modibo Diarra resigns during a broadcast on state television from Bamako, Mali on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, hours after soldiers who led a recent coup burst into his home and arrested him. (AP Photo/ORTM Mali TV) MALI ACCESS OUTMali's prime minister resigned on state television early Tuesday, hours after soldiers who led a recent coup burst into his home and arrested him, in the latest sign of the volatile political situation in this once-stable West African nation.

HSBC to pay $1.9B to settle money-laundering case

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 12:25 AM PST

FILE -- In a July 30, 2012 file photo people walk past a logo of HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong . HSBC, the British banking giant, will pay $1.9 billion to settle a money-laundering probe by federal and state authorities in the United States, a law enforcement official said Monday Dec. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, file)HSBC, the British banking giant, said Tuesday it will pay $1.9 billion to settle a money-laundering probe by federal and state authorities in the United States.

Investigators study Mexico crash that took singer

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 12:35 AM PST

Photos and flowers honoring late singer Jenni Rivera, placed by fans next to religious images, are seen at the cemetery where her mother is buried in Hermosillo, northern Mexico, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. U.S. authorities confirmed Monday that Rivera, a U.S.-born singer whose soulful voice and openness about her personal troubles made her a Mexican-American superstar, was killed in a plane crash early Sunday in northern Mexico. (AP Photo/Baldemar De Los Llanos)Tearful fans set up candlelight shrines and memorials to Jenni Rivera from California to Mexico, as investigators said it would take days to piece together the wreckage of the plane carrying the Mexican-American music superstar and find out why it went down.

AP Interview: Mexico leader to continue drug fight

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 11:15 PM PST

Enrique Pena Nieto speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Los Pinos presidential residence in Mexico City, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. Pena Nieto says he'll mount a "real fight" against production and trafficking of marijuana, despite its legalization in two U.S. states. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)Newly elected President Enrique Pena Nieto says he will continue combatting all illegal drug production and trafficking in Mexico, including marijuana, despite its legalization in two U.S. states and liberalized use for medical purposes in others.

Meeting delay a sign of cooling US-Vietnam ties

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 11:13 PM PST

FILE - In this undated file photo, Vietnamese-American pro-democracy activist Nguyen Quoc Quan is seen in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Quan, 59, was arrested at Ho Chi Minh City airport in April soon after arriving on a flight from the United States, where he has lived since fleeing Vietnam by boat as a young man. The detention and looming trial of the democracy activist may be the clearest example of Hanoi's unwillingness to listen to American concerns over human rights. (AP Photo/ Vietnam News Agency, File)The U.S. and Vietnam, former enemies who share concerns about China's rise, are finding that one issue — human rights — is keeping them from becoming closer friends.

15 killed in Nigeria shoot-out with radical sect

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 12:36 AM PST

A shootout in northeastern Nigeria between security forces and members of a radical Islamist sect killed at least 15 people, including a local police chief, authorities said Tuesday.

US designates Syria's Jabhat al-Nusra front a 'terrorist' group at lightning speed

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 02:25 PM PST

The US State Department designated the Jabhat al-Nusra militia fighting Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria a foreign terrorist organization today.

Supporters show solidarity after Chávez names successor

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 01:38 PM PST

Thousands of Venezuelans poured into central Caracas Sunday in solidarity as their president, Hugo Chávez, prepared for his journey to Cuba for surgery.

New York judge's ruling sparks nationalist surge in Argentina

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 01:23 PM PST

The stakes couldn't be higher for Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner as a legal tug-of-war with a $20 billion US hedge fund plays out in a New York case that has sent nationalist sentiment soaring in Argentina and raised concerns about the impact on future efforts to help debt-ridden countries recover.

Elite Navy SEAL dies in rescue mission to save US doctor in Afghanistan

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 11:42 AM PST

• A news roundup

Muslim Brotherhood's unlikely new ally? Egypt's military

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 11:29 AM PST

Yesterday, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi raised taxes on a host of goods and services, among then alcohol, tobacco, advertising, and construction rebar. Then at around 2 a.m. today, he suspended the tax increases with a short update to his public Facebook account.

New UN plan to get girls in school boosted by Malala's father

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 10:33 AM PST

The Pakistani government and the United Nations' education agency unveiled a plan today to motivate girls around the world to enroll in schools by the end of 2015.

Amid criticism, EU receives Nobel Peace Prize

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 07:14 AM PST

This year's Nobel Peace Prize laureates defended the contested decision to give the prize to the European Union and promised it would emerge stronger from the ongoing social unrest and protests in its member states.

Ghana pulls off sixth 'free and fair' election in model for region

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 07:04 AM PST

Ghana has once again voted freely and fairly in a presidential election, electing its president for four more years and bolstering its image as a stable democracy in a region where smooth elections are rare.

China's economic recovery picks up pace, but for how long?

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 06:19 AM PST

New figures suggest that China's economic recovery is speeding up, with industrial production and retail sales rising faster than expected in November.

Will Morsi's security request give Army renewed clout?

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 05:59 AM PST

• A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

On Europe's foreign agenda: how to handle Israel

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 05:08 AM PST

Compared with Americans, Europeans express more sympathies with Palestinians in their dispute with Israel. But their elected officials do not necessarily share that majority view, at least diplomatically, something that could be on display today when EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels.
Posted by Harshad at 1:32 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)