JERUSALEM - The High Holy Days have begun in Israel.
Israel is marking Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, beginning 10 days of repentance. The Days of Awe, as they are called, culminate with the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement.
Rosh Hashanah is a time of prayer and reflection in […]
WASHINGTON - Seven former CIA directors have urged U.S. President Barack Obama to stop a criminal probe into alleged prisoner abuse by CIA interrogators during the Bush administration.
The CIA directors, who served both Democratic and Republican presidents, made they request in a letter Friday to the White House.
In their letter, the former directors - John […]
WASHINGTON - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision to scrap plans for a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic is “correct and brave.”
In televised remarks Friday, Mr. Putin said he hopes other measures that would improve ties will follow.
President Obama announced Thursday that he is dispensing with […]
WASHINGTON - The United States and Cuba have begun talks on resuming direct mail service, which has been suspended since 1963.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Bisa Williams is leading the delegation to the negotiations in Havana. She is the highest-level representative of the Obama administration to travel to Cuba.
Representatives of the U.S. […]
WASHINGTON - Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer says U.S. President Barack Obama has informed him Washington will not build a proposed missile defense system in Eastern Europe.
Mr. Fischer says Mr. Obama revealed his decision during a phone call late Wednesday night.
The Wall Street Journal Thursday said Mr. Obama is planning to cancel the radar system […]
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Barack Obama is urging patience as his administration considers whether to commit more troops to the conflict in Afghanistan. The president spoke after discussing Afghanistan and other issues with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the White House.
President Obama says he will take his time in deciding whether to deploy more […]
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration is urging lawmakers to extend three provisions of the controversial domestic surveillance law known as the USA Patriot Act.
The U.S. Justice Department issued a letter Tuesday asking Congress to renew provisions of the law that allow authorities to conduct roving electronic eavesdropping, or wiretaps, access business records and track […]
STATE DEPARTMENT - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Tuesday called for transparency on the part of Venezuela in an arms buildup by the Hugo Chavez government that U.S. officials believe threatens regional stability. Clinton spoke at a meeting with Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez, who said Latin American governments should combat poverty rather than acquire weapons.
Clinton’s […]
WASHINGTON - U.S. Navy Admiral Michael Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday that the United States probably will need to send more troops to Afghanistan to win the war against Taliban and al-Qaida insurgents.
U.S. military officials say they are in a race against time and mounting opposition from the American […]
LOS ANGELES - Patrick Swayze was born in Houston. His mother, choreographer Patsy Swayze, owned a dance studio and Patrick became a dancer himself, moving on to advanced training in ballet in New York City.
He played in the original production of Grease on Broadway, and broke into films in 1979.
Swayze had a role in The […]
WASHINGTON - U.S. military officials say American special forces staged an attack in southern Somalia Monday and killed a Kenyan-born terrorist suspect.
Witnesses in the area said soldiers in at least two helicopters fired on a vehicle near the southern town of Barawe, killing at least two passengers and wounding two others.
U.S. officials say the attack […]
STATE DEPARTMENT - The United States said Monday an ongoing military buildup by Venezuela poses a serious challenge to regional stability. The comments follow an announcement that the Caracas government of President Hugo Chavez has received a line of credit from Moscow to purchase Russian tanks and anti-aircraft missiles.
The State Department says Venezuela’s recent arms […]
NEW DELHI - A new audio message, directed at the American people - purported to be from al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden - claims the President Barack Obama will find himself powerless to halt the American-led war in Afghanistan.
The latest audio recording, attributed to Bin Laden, again attempts to justify al-Qaeda’s September 11, 2001, terror […]
WASHINGTON - Americans protesting what they say is out-of-control spending by the nation’s political leaders are rallying in Washington to voice their displeasure.
Demonstrators from across the United States marched on the Capitol building Saturday, chanting slogans, waving American flags and demanding U.S. President Barack Obama and Congress slash spending.
An Internet site run by protest organizers […]
BEIRUT - Lebanon’s prime minister-designate Saad Hariri has announced Thursday he is stepping down and calling it quits after more than 10 weeks of fruitless attempts to form a coalition government. This decision will likely further complicate Lebanon’s political situation.
In front of a group of reporters, Lebanon’s prime minister-designate Saad Hariri announced he will step […]
JERUSALEM - There has been a flare-up on the Israeli border with Lebanon.
At least two rockets fired from Lebanon crashed into northern Israel, breaking a calm along the border that has prevailed since January. Israeli artillery returned fire.
Deputy police commander Kobi Bachar spoke to reporters at the scene.
He said loud explosions startled residents, who jammed […]
WASHINGTON - Friday marks the eighth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, and across the country people are commemorating the day with memorial services, volunteerism, and flags flown at half-staff.
U.S. President Barack Obama has declared it an annual day of “service and remembrance.”
But critics say making the anniversary a day […]
PARIS - German Chancellor Angela Merkel hailed today the decision by US auto maker General Motors to sell its troubled German-based Opel unit to a Canadian auto firm.
Chancellor Angela Merkel saluted the decision of Detroit -based General Motors to sell its Opel unit to Magna International at a press conference in Berlin.
Ms. Merkel told reporters […]
WASHINGTON - As the situation in Afghanistan grows ever more complex and deadly, more voices are being raised about Western military involvement there. Analogies to the Vietnam war increasingly arise in the debate, especially with regards to the growing U.S. military presence. There are some similarities between the two conflicts, but also some sharp differences.
A […]
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Barack Obama told a joint session of the U.S. Congress Wednesday night that the government’s failure to deal with health care reform has left uninsured citizens “just one accident or illness away from bankruptcy.”
Mr. Obama gave details of a $900 billion proposal that would include a government-run insurance option to provide […]
WASHINGTON - The United States Tuesday imposed sanctions against two North Korean entities said to be involved in that country’s missile and nuclear programs. The action came as the U.S. envoy for North Korean policy completed a round of talks in Asia on ways to get Pyongyang to return to nuclear negotiations.
The Obama administration is […]
WASHINGTON - Wary investors are buying gold, pushing prices upward on precious metal trading markets.
Gold prices topped the $1,000 an ounce mark for just the third time during trading on Tuesday, climbing to their highest level since February before falling again.
Investors say gold has become an increasingly attractive investment because of concerns about the value […]
JERUSALEM - Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has given official approval to the construction of 455 housing units in Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The move counters U.S. calls for a freeze on settlements. Palestinian officials are calling the decision a setback for the peace process.
Negotiations have been stalled for months, and analysts […]
WASHINGTON - The White House says an environmental policy adviser to U.S. President Barack Obama has resigned after a controversy involving his past statements.
Van Jones apologized last week for signing a petition five years ago that questioned whether high-ranking U.S. officials had allowed the September 11, 2001 attacks to occur.
Republican members of Congress have criticized […]
