Central African Republic

Syrian rebel commander badly hurt in car bombing

BEIRUT -- A Syrian rebel commander who led the opposition Free Syrian Army for more than a year was wounded by a bomb planted in his car Sunday. Col. Riad Asaad, who defected from the country's air force and fled to Turkey in 2011, was in the eastern...

Tags: Skype, Riad al-Asaad, Rebellions, Turkey (animal), Turkey

Hong Kong rules against residency for foreign domestic helpers

Foreigners who cook, clean houses and care for children in Hong Kong will not be eligible to become permanent residents like other workers from abroad, a final appeals court ruled Monday. The unanimous ruling disappointed the Filipino workers who...

Tags: Labor Disputes, Politics, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights, Career and Workplace

Kerry in show of unity with Afghanistan's Karzai

KABUL – Secretary of State John Kerry joined Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday for a public show of unity, declaring that the two allies “are on the same page” despite weeks of unprecedented friction. Kerry, who has played a...

Tags: Politics, Prisons, Taliban, National Government, Hamid Karzai

Cyprus locked in tense talks with international lenders

ATHENS -- Officials from Cyprus and international lenders were locked in long and tortuous talks Sunday, trying to strike a deal on a rescue plan that would keep the island’s failing banks from collapsing while maintaining membership in Europe&...

Tags: European Central Bank, Nicos Anastasiades, International Monetary Fund, Nicosia (Cyprus), Same-Sex Marriage

Jordanian council calls King Abdullah a Zionist agent

AMMAN, Jordan -- A tribal council long allied with the Jordanian monarchy has labeled King Abdullah II a Zionist agent because of comments he made in an interview with the Atlantic magazine. “You practiced the role of agent for the forces of...

Tags: Politics, Mohamed Morsi, Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz al Saud, Imperial and Royal Matters, Bashar Assad

Police battle same-sex marriage foes in Paris

PARIS — French riot police battled Sunday with anti-gay marriage protesters who forced their way onto the world famous Champs Élysées. The demonstration was a last-ditch attempt to stop a bill backed by France's Socialist government that will...

Tags: France, Social Issues, Politics, Unrest, Conflicts and War, Same-Sex Marriage

Rebels topple Central African Republic president, seize capital

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Rebels in the Central African Republic ousted President Francois Bozize on Sunday, forcing him to flee as they stormed the capital, seized the presidential palace and took control. Bozize left the capital early Sunday,...

Tags: Politics, Unrest, Conflicts and War, Wars and Interventions, National Government, Government

Maliki resists Kerry's call to halt flow of Iranian arms to Syria

BAGHDAD – Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki on Sunday to stop Iran from flying arms across Iraqi territory to the beleaguered Syrian regime, but found him unwilling to give ground. In a visit to Baghdad that...

Tags: Baghdad (Iraq), Politics, Unrest, Conflicts and War, Mahmoud Abbas, Iran

Killings by Kony's Lord's Resistance Army plunged, report finds

Killings of civilians by the notorious militia led by the fugitive Joseph Kony have dropped dramatically in the last three years, according to a new analysis that tracks reports on the group. The Lord’s Resistance Army has terrorized central...

Tags: Politics, Unrest, Conflicts and War, Human Rights, Iran, Mexico

Pictures in the News | Jan. 4, 2013

Afghans to take over greater security role

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghan forces are preparing to take the lead in safeguarding more parts of the country in line with plans to assume full responsibility for security when most foreign troops withdraw by the end of 2014, President Hamid Karzai’s...

Tags: Armed Forces, Unrest, Conflicts and War, Afghanistan, Defense, Kabul (Afghanistan)

Central African Republic peace talks lead to coalition government

JOHANNESBURG – Opposition forces in the Central African Republic who took control of a large swath of the country in recent weeks have succeeded in forcing President Francois Bozize’s government to share power, officials said Friday. In a...

Tags: Politics, Unrest, Conflicts and War, Italy, International Criminal Court, National Government