US Confirms Syrian Government Used Chemical Weapons
AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — The United States has concluded that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has used chemical weapons in the fight against its own people, the White House announced on Thursday.”Following a deliberative review, our in…
Turkish Government Calls Off Park Demolition that Fueled Unrest
ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images(ISTANBUL) — After a court ruled the demolition of Gezi Park in Istanbul would be suspended, the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced early Friday that it would abide by the decision, which could lead …
Kate Middleton Considering Unorthodox Birthing Method
Samir Hussein/WireImage(LONDON) — Hypnotherapy seemed to work wonders for Kate Middleton before, so why not try it again?Last January, the website Stuff.co.nz reported that the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge underwent hypnotherapy to help her regain he…
Scandal in Canada: Toronto Mayor Denies Crack Cocaine Reports
Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star via Getty Images(TORONTO) — He’s made headlines for confronting a reporter with his fists up, calling 911 on a comedian approaching him in his driveway, flipping off a mother and her daughter who saw him talking on his…
South Africa to Hand $1B of Gadhafi Assets Over to Libya
Salah Malkawi/ Getty Images(CAPE TOWN, South Africa) — South Africa says it will return $1 billion in cash, gold and diamonds stashed in South Africa by the former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Since Gadhafi’s downfall nearly three years …
In Desperate Plea, Man Defaces Queen Elizabeth’s Portrait
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images(LONDON) — The queen’s official Diamond Jubilee portrait was defaced with spray paint Thursday by a “desperate father” who campaigners say was wrongly separated from his two daughters and was “trying to appeal to the queen for …
Syrian Conflict Death Toll Tops 90,000, UN Says
Scott Peterson/Getty Images(GENEVA) — The two-year-long conflict in Syria has claimed the lives of more than 90,000 people, according to new study out Thursday by the United Nations.
The U.N. says 92,901 individuals were killed in Syria between March …
Syrian Conflict Death Toll Tops 90,000, UN Says
Scott Peterson/Getty Images(GENEVA) — The two-year-long conflict in Syria has claimed the lives of more than 90,000 people, according to new study out Thursday by the United Nations.
The U.N. says 92,901 individuals were killed in Syria between March …
Duchess Kate Middleton Christens Cruise Ship
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images(LONDON) — Kate Middleton’s last solo royal engagement before she gives birth to her first child next month involved the smashing of a champagne bottle.The Duchess of Cambridge, 31, fulfilled a royal tradit…
Duchess Kate Middleton Christens Cruise Ship
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images(LONDON) — Kate Middleton’s last solo royal engagement before she gives birth to her first child next month involved the smashing of a champagne bottle.The Duchess of Cambridge, 31, fulfilled a royal tradit…
Turkish Government Alternates Olive Branch with Iron Fist
Kazuhiro Ibuki – Pool/Getty Images(ISTANBUL) — The Turkish government sent mixed signals on Wednesday as civil unrest continued over growing fears of authoritarianism in the secular Muslim country.Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his interior …
Sectarian Massacre Reported in Syrian Village
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(DAMASCUS, Syria) — There’s more evidence that the conflict in Syria is turning into sectarian warfare, with reports of 30 Shiite Muslims killed Tuesday by rebels in the eastern village of Hatlah.The charge of a massacre was made…
Iraq Aims to Become World Leader in Oil Production
Comstock/Thinkstock(BAGHDAD) — Iraq remains in the throes of insurgent violence but that hasn’t hampered its ambitions to become an oil-producing superpower.Thamir Ghadhban, chairman of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s advisory commission, annou…
US Still Debating Providing Arms for Syrian Rebels
Scott Peterson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — No decision on arming Syrian rebels has been reached by the White House as members of President Obama’s national security team appear divided over how to deal with President Bashar al-Assad’s growing military …
Snowden Claims NSA Documents Show US Hacks China: Report
The Guardian via Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Alleged NSA leaker Edward Snowden claimed Wednesday to have evidence that the U.S. government has been hacking into Chinese computer networks since at least 2009 – an effort he said is part of the tens o…
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…