Assange Says WikiLeaks Helping Snowden Get Asylum in Iceland
LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images(LONDON) — Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said Wednesday that his group has been in touch with lawyers for Edward Snowden, the man who says he’s behind the National Security Agency leaks.“We are in touch with Mr…
Afghanistan Backs Out of Peace Talks with US, Taliban
MASSOUD HOSSAINI/AFP/Getty Images(KABUL, Afghanistan) — There’s been a big setback to establishing peace in war-torn Afghanistan.A day after the Taliban opened a new office in Qatar, supposedly to help kickstart the peace process, Afghan President Ham…
The Royal Baby Countdown: Details of Palace Plans Emerge
Comstock/Thinkstock(LONDON) — It will likely be the most anticipated, most-reported birth of the year.Sometime around mid-July, the Duchess of Cambridge — formerly known as Kate Middleton — will give birth to a baby that will be the future king or q…
Peace? Not Quite – Taliban Kill Four US Soldiers
Stocktrek Images/Thinkstock(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Four U.S. soldiers were killed overnight in what a U.S. official called an “indirect fire” attack at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying…
More Talk than Action at G-8 Summit’s Conclusion
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — The two-day G-8 Summit in Northern Ireland ended Tuesday with a whisper, not a bang.In the final communiqué, the U.S. and its allies issued a general message on reviving the global economy saying, “Promo…
Russian Foreign Minister: Iran Ready to Make Deal with the West
ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images(MOSCOW) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested Tuesday that there’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel in the West’s standoff with Iran over its rogue nuclear program.According to the Russian offici…
Suicide Bombers Strike Shiite Mosque in Baghdad
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(BAGHDAD) — A Shiite mosque in Baghdad was targeted by militants on Tuesday, leaving 29 people dead and dozens more wounded.According to Iraqi officials, it was a coordinated suicide bombing designed to kill as many people as pos…
Kate Middleton’s Baby Will Mean Big Bump for British Economy
Matt Cardy/Getty Images(LONDON) — Prince William and Kate Middleton are expecting their first child in July and a report by the Centre for Retail Research in Nottingham, England, predicts that the national economy could gain as much as $380 million be…
Former Sen. Feingold Will Be Special Envoy for Central Africa
Douglas Graham/Roll Call/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of State John Kerry announced Tuesday that former Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., will be the Obama administration’s new special envoy to deal with conflict-ridden Central Africa, which c…
Rahm Emanuel Celebrates Daughter’s Bat Mitzvah, Attends Presidential Conference in Israel
Scott Olson/Getty Images(JERUSALEM) — Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is celebrating two important birthdays this week.Last Friday, the mayor and his youngest daughter, Leah, embarked on a week-long commemorative trip to Israel to celebrate her bat mitzvah…
US, Afghans and Taliban to Begin Peace Negotiations
SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Marking a major milestone in the 12-year war, Taliban officials announced on Tuesday that they are prepared to sit down for direct peace talks with Afghan and U.S. officials over the future of Afghanis…
Five Reasons Why Brazil Is Protesting
NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — On Saturday, thousands of Brazilian fans at the Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha booed and heckled FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Brazilian president Dilma Roussef during the opening ceremony of the Confed…
Amanda Knox Court Cites Theory of Sex Game Gone Wrong
Ida Astute/ABC News(ROME) — The Italian Supreme Court handling Amanda Knox’s murder case released its reasoning on Tuesday and cited prosecutors’ early theory that her roommate Meredith Kercher died in an “erotic game” that got out of hand — a motive…
Security Transition in Afghanistan: Sovereign Forces ‘Take the Lead’
ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Tuesday marked a major milestone in the war in Afghanistan, as sovereign forces there have officially “taken the lead” in all security responsibilities from U.S. and NATO forces.”This …
Pirate Attacks in West Africa on the Rise
ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images(JOHANNESBURG) — Pirate attacks on the west coast of Africa now outnumber attacks by Somali pirates on the east coast, a new report by the International Maritime Bureau finds.There were 966 West African attacks in 2012,…
Iranian President-Elect Hints at Some Flexibility
BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images(TEHRAN, Iran) — In his first comments to the press since being elected Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani promised on Monday that his government would institute a doctrine of moderation while promising to improve the e…
New Threats of Military Intervening in Turkish Civil Unrest
Kazuhiro Ibuki – Pool/Getty Images(ANKARA, Turkey) — The government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan may be preparing to step up, not dial down, clashes with demonstrators protesting his regime over what they say is Turkey’s move to auth…
Obama, Putin Don’t ‘Coincide’ On Syria But Call for End to Violence
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/GettyImages(SLIGO, IRELAND) — Emerging from a two-hour meeting at the G8 summit, President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed that the bloodshed in Syria must stop and that there should be a renewed push for negotiations…
NSA Leaker Strikes Again: Brits Accused of Spying on G20
The Guardian via Getty Images(NEW YORK) — New documents revealed by alleged National Security Agency (NSA) leaker Edward Snowden reportedly show how British cyber spies regularly stole secrets from foreign diplomats during the 2009 G20 summit in Londo…
Obama Visits School in Northern Ireland; Family Explores Irish Roots
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images(SLIGO, Ireland) — President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron took some time out of their busy summit schedules to visit with local school children Monday afternoon.“Hello, everybody,” Obama said a…