Switzerland Questions US over CIA Drunk Driving Gambit
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — The Swiss government has formally asked the U.S. for “clarification” on a claim from alleged National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden that CIA agents in Geneva pushed a banker to drink and drive…
Both Sides Hardening as Turkey’s Civil Unrest Escalates
ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images(ISTANBUL) — Neither Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan nor anti-government demonstrators showed signs of backing down Tuesday as riot police tried to drive protesters from Istanbul’s Taksim Square, which has become…
Mandela Remains Hospitalized for Fifth Straight Day
Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images(PRETORIA, South Africa) — Former South African President Nelson Mandela is spending a fifth straight day in a Pretoria hospital after being admitted over the weekend with a recurring lung infection.
On Tuesday, South African…
Retired Gen. John Allen on the Sacrifices of the Afghanistan War
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Gen. John Allen recently retired from the military following his post as the commander of the International Security Assistance Force, but the memories of the 561 troops who died under his command — and the…
Afghan Civilian Deaths Soar in 2013
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(KABUL, Afghanistan) — How are national forces in Afghanistan faring against the Taliban after taking over most of the security responsibilities from U.S. and NATO troops?According to a new report by the United Nations, the effec…
British Politician Claims Syrian Rebels Dominated by Radical Islamists
Scott Peterson/Getty Images(DAMASCUS, Syria) — A British lawmaker on the far right is warning that Syria’s opposition forces have been taken over by radical Islamists who are only interested in committing terrorist acts.Nick Griffin, who leads the Bri…
Assange Tells Snowden to Seek Refuge in Latin America
LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images(LONDON) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has some advice for Edward Snowden, the NSA leaker who revealed his identity on Sunday.In a recent interview with CNN, Assange said that Snowden, who was last seen in Hong Kong, sho…
Turkish Protesters Use Fireworks to Battle Cops
Lam Yik Fei/Getty Images(ISTANBUL, Turkey) — Protesters in Turkey’s ancient city of Istanbul fought running battles with police on Tuesday, sending fireworks into police lines while being forced back with tear gas, rubber bullets and a water cannon.Ea…
Massive Suicide Car Bomb Explodes Near Afghan Supreme Court
File photo. MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images(KABUL, Afghanistan) — More than a dozen people have been killed in a massive blast from a suicide car bomb in Kabul Tuesday.
The target appears to have been the Afghan Supreme Court, which is down the road fro…
Security Stepped Up as Nelson Mandela Remains in Hospital
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images(PRETORIA, South Africa) — Former South African President Nelson Mandela is waking up Tuesday in a hospital for a fourth straight day.South African State Police have stepped up security at the Pretoria hospital where Mand…
Turkish Police Descend on Anti-Government Protesters
ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images(ISTANBUL) — Turkish anti-government protesters camped out in Istanbul’s Taksim Square were awakened Tuesday morning by riot police who had largely left them alone for the past week-and-a-half as they carried out their…
Dozens Dead After Twin Suicide Bombings in Syria’s Capital
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(DAMASCUS, Syria) — Two suicide bombers attacked a square in central Damascus on Tuesday, killing more than a dozen people and wounding more than 30 others, according to Syrian state media. The blasts reportedly took place at a p…
Decision on Arming Syrian Rebels Could Come Soon
Scott Peterson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — The White House could decide this week whether the U.S. will begin providing arms to the opposition forces in Syria as President Bashar al-Assad’s military appears to be gaining the upper hand after more than …
Two Boys Found Beheaded in Afghan Village
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Government officials in southern Afghanistan are at a loss to explain the beheading of two boys, an act of brutality for which the Taliban claims it is not responsible.A governor from the district of Zhari …
Iraq’s Brief Respite from Violence Ends
iStockPhoto/Thinkstock(BAGHDAD) — After a brief lull, violence has again returned to Iraq with at least 55 people killed Monday in what is believed to be a continuation of revived sectarian warfare.At least half of the fatalities occurred in the Sunni…
Sleepy Bank Worker Accidentally Transfers Hundreds of Millions of Euros
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A German bank employee apparently fell asleep at his desk some time ago, and instead of transferring 62.40 euros to a retiree’s account, he smooshed down the “2″ button as he slept, sending 222,222,222.22 euros — mo…
Prince Philip Gets Hospital Visitors on 92nd Birthday
Simon James/FilmMagic(LONDON) — Britain’s Prince Philip spent his 92nd birthday in a London hospital recovering from abdominal surgery, but he had company.The Duke of Edinburgh was visited at The London Clinic on Monday by his son, Prince Edward…
Nelson Mandela in Intensive Care for Lung Infection
Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images(PRETORIA, South Africa) — Former South African President Nelson Mandela is in intensive care after being hospitalized yet again for a lung infection, a government source tells ABC News.Mandela, 94, went into a Pretoria hospi…
Afghan Forces Repel Attacks on Kabul Airport and Elsewhere
MASSOUD HOSSAINI/AFP/Getty Images(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Suicide bombers staged a series of attacks in Afghanistan on Monday that were ultimately repelled by Afghan police and commandos.The most serious incident came just before dawn, when seven milita…
NSA Documents Leaker Could Face Extradition from Hong Kong Hideout
The Guardian via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — An extradition treaty between the United States and Hong Kong, signed in 1996, could determine if and how alleged National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden is handed over to American authorities and bro…