Protests on Istiklal Avenue, the heart of Istanbul’s shopping and entertainment district, are nothing new. Over the past year, Turks have protested against the deteriorating state of press freedoms, a reckless construction …
Palestinian President Appoints New Prime Minister
(RAMALLAH, West Bank) — The Palestinian president Abbas on Sunday picked a little-known academic as his new prime minister, according to the official government news agency, following the resignation of his chief …
Court Says Egypt Legislature Illegally Elected
(CAIRO) — Egypt’s highest court ruled on Sunday that the nation’s interim parliament was illegally elected, though it stopped short of dissolving the chamber immediately, in a decision likely to fuel the tensions between the ruling Islamists and the judiciary.
The Supreme Constitutional Court also ruled that a 100-member panel that …
Quakes Kill 2 in Taiwan, Injure 33 in Philippines
(TAIPEI, Taiwan) — A strong earthquake jolted Taiwan on Sunday, killing two people and injuring at least 21 others and causing panicked shoppers to rush out of a shaking multi-story department store, officials said.
Another earthquake jolted the southern Philippines late Saturday, injuring at least 33 people and damaging more than …
Police Charge 2nd Suspect in U.K. Soldier Death
(LONDON) — British police charged a second suspect Saturday with the murder of a soldier who was hacked to death in a London street, as right-wing and antifascist groups both demonstrated in response to a slaying that has heightened religious tensions in Britain.
The Metropolitan Police said 28-year-old Michael Adebolajo was charged …
Reports: Turkish Police Leave Istanbul Square
Turkey’s state-run agency says police have begun withdrawing from a main Istanbul square and have allowed thousands of protesters in
Rockets Fired From Syria Hit Eastern Lebanon
(BEIRUT) — More than a dozen rockets and mortar rounds fired from Syria struck eastern Lebanon Saturday, security officials said, as tensions rise in the two countries’ borderlands where Hezbollah militants are playing a bigger role in Syria’s civil war.
The Lebanese security officials said the Baalbek region was struck 16 times, …
Pakistan’s New Lawmakers Sworn In, Face Many Tests
(ISLAMABAD) — Newly elected members of Pakistan‘s National Assembly were sworn in Saturday, officially marking the first transition of power between democratically elected civilian governments in the nearly 66-year history of this coup-prone country.
Among the steep challenges the legislators will face: massive energy shortages that …
The Syrian Chessboard: Behind the Game Played by Russia, Israel, the U.S. and Other Powers
The umbrella group representing Syria’s rebellion on the world stage announced on Thursday that they would not attend peace talks proposed to take place in Geneva during June, a flat rejection that might appear to sideline the …
Turkish Police Break Up Istanbul Park Protest
(ISTANBUL) — Riot police used tear gas and pressurized water in a dawn raid Friday to roust a peaceful sit-in by hundreds of people trying to prevent the uprooting of trees at an Istanbul park.
Several protesters were …
More Than 23,000 Refugees Flee South Sudan Conflict
(JUBA, South Sudan) — A U.N. official says more than 23,500 people have fled fighting in South Sudan’s Jonglei state and sought refuge in neighboring countries of Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia.
Eurozone Unemployment Heading for 20 Million
(LONDON) — Unemployment across the 17 EU countries that use the euro is on course to hit 20 million this year, according to figures showing the jobless rate hit another record high — the latest ignominious landmark for the currency bloc.
Eurostat, the European Union‘s statistics office, said Friday that the unemployment rate
…
N Korean Farmers Planting Rice with Bonuses in Mind
(HAMHUNG, North Korea) — North Korean farmers knee deep in muddy paddies across the country have a new incentive during this year’s crucial rice planting season: possible bonuses that are part of an economic shift echoing ally China‘s steps three decades ago toward embracing capitalism.
Details about the changes are emerging nearly …
