Dirty Water Worsening Syria’s Humanitarian Crisis
BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — The humanitarian crisis in Syria caused by the two-year-long civil war is becoming more dire, the World Health Organization announced on Tuesday, due to outbreaks of hepatitis A and other diseases caused by po…
Did China Aim Radar at Japanese Ship?
George Doyle/Thinkstock(TOKYO) — Tokyo has lodged a formal protest against Beijing after a Chinese warship aimed a radar used to direct missiles at a Japanese naval ship, reports The New York Times.On Tuesday, Itsunori Onodera, Japan’s defense ministe…
Pakistani Town that Hosted Osama Bin Laden Plans Amusement Park
AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Now that Abbottabad, Pakistan is lacking its most famous, though perhaps least known attraction — a compound that hid terror mastermind Osama bin Laden — the city is hoping to boost tourism with an amusemen…
Scientists Doubt Rogue Nations’ Missiles Can Hit US
PEDRO UGARTE/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — With North Korea reportedly preparing to conduct perhaps as many as two illicit nuclear tests, South Korea is on full military alert while the U.S. scrambles for a response.This is happening on top of a recent…
Iran Warns Israel It Will Regret Air Strikes Against Syria
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(DAMASCUS, Syria) — Syria received a vote of support Monday when the head of Iran’s National Security Council warned Israel it would regret last week’s air strike near the border with Lebanon that targeted a truck convoy ca…
Afghanistan and Pakistan Nearing Peace Accord
MASSOUD HOSSAINI/AFP/Getty Images | Chris Hondros/Getty Images(LONDON) — After a meeting in London hosted by British Prime Minister David Cameron, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari, agreed on Monday to a pea…
Dozens Killed, Wounded in Attack on Police Compound in Northern Iraq
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(BAGHDAD) – At least 30 people were killed and dozens more wounded on Sunday when suicide bombers and gunmen launched a major attack in the semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq.The assault on a police headquarters occurred in t…
Israel Makes Indirect Admission to Air Strike in Syria
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(MUNICH) — Israel finally delivered a public yet coy statement on Sunday about last week’s assault on a truck convoy inside Syria.At a security conference in Munich, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak insisted he could not “add …
Japanese Pop Star Shaves Head for Dating Remorse
AKB48/YouTube(TOKYO) — In a long list of publicity stunts thought up by Japan’s most popular pop group AKB48, this may be the most bizarre.Minami Minegishi is one of the most popular idols in the 90-plus member super unit. The 20-year-old …
American Troop Deaths in Afghanistan Drop Dramatically
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dexter S. Saulisbury/Released(WASHINGTON) — As Afghan forces take the lead in fighting the Taliban, the U.S. military has just experienced its lowest death toll over a three-month span since late 2008 and early 20…
Is Afghanistan Buying Iranian Oil with US Funds?
Comstock/Thinkstock(JERUSALEM) — Afghanistan may be spending U.S. money to purchase fuel from Iran, according to a story in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.If that’s the case, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) say…
South Korea Warns North Korea to Cancel Nuclear Test
PEDRO UGARTE/AFP/Getty Images(SEOUL, South Korea) — South Korea is not going to take another nuclear test by North Korea lightly.South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Thursday warned of “very grave consequences” if Pyongyang conducts another nuclear…
Syria and Allies Condemn Israeli Air Strike
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — There was still no word from the Israeli government Thursday confirming an air strike earlier in the week that targeted a truck convoy in Syria that U.S. officials say was carrying missiles to the Hezbollah in Lebano…
Israel and Syria Differ on Target of Israeli Air Strike
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(DAMASCUS, Syria) — In spite of evidence to the contrary, the Syrian government on Wednesday accused Israel of conducting an air strike against one of its military facilities in Damascus the day before.According to a report by Sy…
Did Chinese Hackers Attack “The New York Times” Repeatedly?
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — China is denying accusations by The New York Times that hackers in the country repeatedly infiltrated the newspaper’s computer systems over the past four months.The Times reported on Wednesday that Chinese hackers st…
Chuck Hagel Says US Patience for Iran Is Limited
Junko Kimura/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Responding to written questions by the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel suggested that the Obama administration would be ready to get tough with Iran if diplomacy fails to c…
China’s Filthy Air Prompts Mask Rush, Sale of Fresh Air in Cans
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(BEIJING) — For the fourth time this year, a murky haze has descended over north China, leaving residents of Beijing choking on toxic smog. China’s air hasn’t been this bad since 1954, according to the state-run People’s Da…
South Korea Launches Rocket Carrying Satellite into Orbit
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(SEOUL, South Korea) — It looks like the third time’s a charm for South Korea. The country said on Wednesday that it successfully launched a rocket carrying a satellite into orbit after two previous failed attempts.The 140-…
Group Charges Syrian Government with Executing Scores of Men
JOSEPH EID/AFP/Getty Images(DAMASCUS, Syria) — An opposition group is accusing the Syrian government of war atrocities after the bodies of dozens of men were reportedly pulled from a river in the northern city of Aleppo.The British-based Syrian Observ…
US Navy Minesweeper Stuck on Philippines Reef to Be Cut into Pieces
Naval Aircrewman (Tactical Helicopter) 3rd Class Geoffrey Trudell/US Navy(NEW YORK) — Unable to tow the minesweeper USS Guardian off a reef in the Philippines, the Navy has decided that the only way to free the ship without causing further damage to t…