Iran State TV station FARS announced Saturday morning that four American dual-nationality prisoners were released from Iranian custody in a “prisoner swap” with the United States.
The Olympic torch crossed the Irish border on Wednesday for its only visit outside Britain on its journey to the London 2012 Games, in a sign of reconciliation between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The torch was passed
By CHRISTOPHER BODEENAssociated PressBEIJING China’s leadership faces a knotty choice in how to finish off fallen politician Bo Xilai without further damaging the Communist Party’s image: Purge him the old-fashioned way — in secret — or run him through a
Syria’s sectarian civil war is entering its second year, with 15,000 to 19,000 estimated casualties so far. President Obama has intervened in the conflict diplomatically and has expressed a willingness to get involved militarily. The makeup of both sides is
Even if you’re a princess, you can’t duck out on a $7.5 million dollar bill. Saudi Princess Maha al-Sudani (ex to Crown Prince Nayef ben Abdel Aziz) stayed at the Shangri-La luxury Hotel in Paris last December, where she rented an entire
Anti-war activist Janice Roberts, a 63-year-old Dorchester, Massachusetts resident, has refused to rent an apartment to Sgt. Joel Morgan, 29, a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Roberts told Morgan, according to the lawsuit Morgan filed this week, that
By CHRISTOPHER BODEENAssociated PressBEIJINGThe leaders of Russia and China met Tuesday to foster an evolving partnership that has counterbalanced U.S. influence and shielded Syria from international moves to halt its crackdown on a 15-month uprising. Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived
The CIA is planning to cut the number of personnel in Iraq to 40% of what it had at the height of the Iraq war, when Baghdad was the headquarters of the largest CIA station in the world. At that time, there
The Palestinians are blackmailing Washington, claiming that a new amendment to a bill before Congress would prevent them from making a peace deal with Israel. The amendment calls for a true accounting of how many Palestinians fled Israel during the Israel’s War
Russia said on Tuesday it was prepared to see Syrian President Bashar al-Assad leave power in a negotiated solution to end 15 months of bloodshed that has claimed more than 13,000 lives. Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said a day
The flow of refugees from strife-torn Syria to neighbouring Turkey has resumed in earnest after the failure of an April peace plan, with more than 2,000 arrivals in the past three days, officials said Tuesday. The number of Syrian refugees
By CHRISTINA REXRODEAP Business WriterNEW YORKAs U.S. stocks struggled for direction, world finance leaders struggled for a way out of Europe’s mounting debt crisis. Major market indexes ricocheted between small gains and losses in morning trading and were little changed
Norwegian extremists decried the “Islamisation” of their country as they took the stand Tuesday in what Anders Behring Breivik’s defence hopes will help prove he was sane when he killed 77 people in Norway last year. The 31st day of
Clashes between neo-Nazi demonstrators and far-left counter-protesters overnight in the northern German port city of Hamburg left 38 police officers injured, police said Sunday. Security forces were pelted with rocks, bottles and fireworks and responded by turning water canon and
A mystery computer virus discovered last month and deployed in a massive cyberattack chiefly against Iran sought to steal designs and PDF files from its victims, a Russian firm said. Kaspersky Lab, one of the world’s biggest producers of anti-virus
With Russian president Vladimir Putin visiting China in a warm renewal of relations between the old Cold War partners, both Russia and China have announced that they oppose all foreign intervention in Syria. Meanwhile, Syria threw U.S. and European diplomats
The consequences of socialist medicine are rearing their ugly head in Spain. Spain recently fully legalized abortion in 2010 under a socialist government. Shortly thereafter, a Spanish woman, 7 weeks pregnant, decided to have a “vacuum aspiration” abortion, a surgical procedure
(AP) UN: Syria permits aid workers to enter 4 provincesBy JOHN HEILPRINAssociated PressGENEVASyria’s government has agreed to a written deal with the United Nations and other international organizations that would allow aid workers and supplies to enter four hard-hit provinces,
(AP) Officials: Al-Qaida’s No. 2 target of CIA dronesBy KIMBERLY DOZIERAssociated PressWASHINGTONThe CIA has carried out a half-dozen drone strikes in Pakistan in less than two weeks, the latest targeting al-Qaida’s second in command, as the U.S. pushes ahead with
A trial of former officials in Moamer Kadhafi’s regime opened in Libya on Tuesday, with ex-intelligence chief Bouzid Dorda the first to appear in the dock. Dorda sat caged off as a Tripoli court judge read out a long list
(AP) Argentina’s new directors, CEO firmly control YPFBy ALMUDENA CALATRAVAAssociated PressBUENOS AIRES, ArgentinaArgentina’s YPF oil company on Monday held its first shareholder meeting since being expropriated by the government, naming a board of directors reflecting the stunning reversal of fortune
(AP) Merkel open to idea of European banking unionBy JUERGEN BAETZAssociated PressBERLINGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday that she is open to establishing a European banking authority as a long-term solution to the continent’s financial crisis. Her support as leader
International ratings agency Standard & Poor’s said Monday there was a one-in-three chance of Greece leaving the eurozone in the coming months after June 17 polls. “We believe there is at least a one-in-three chance of Greece exiting the eurozone
As a computer specialist who can fix your PC, Vassilis Revelas has a valuable skill. In Greece’s economic crisis, he’s found a new way of using its value — without a single euro changing hands. Like hundreds of others in
A Swiss adventurer aims to make the world’s first intercontinental flight in a solar-powered plane Tuesday, taking off from Madrid shortly before dawn on a daring trip to Rabat. Bernard Piccard, 54-year-old psychiatrist and balloonist, is to pilot the Solar
On May 6, 2012, after having elected conservative-leaning presidents for 17 years, France turned to Socialist Party candidate François Hollande. Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president, went on vacation in Marrakesh. On the other side of the pond, however, phones are
