WASHINGTON - The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff says he is worried North Korea may follow up the deadly attack on a South Korean warship with a second provocative act.
Admiral Michael Mullen said in a U.S. television interview Sunday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il tends not to stop after a […]
KABUL - The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, says there is “clear evidence” that Iran is providing weapons and training to Taliban fighters in the war-torn country.
U.S. General Stanley McChrystal told reporters in the Afghan capital he understands that as a neighbor, Iran has a natural interest in Afghanistan.
But he says that […]
JERUSALEM - A confrontation at sea between Israeli commandos and pro-Palestinian activists has left at least 10 dead. Israeli forces intercepted an international flotilla that was trying to break a blockade and take hundreds of activists, as well as thousands of tons of humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip. The violence has triggered a strong […]
WASHINGTON - American bluegrass music remains popular in many parts of the United States.
Jam sessions, where musicians get together to play, can be found across the country, and even other parts of the world.
One of the longest running bluegrass jams is held twice a month in Florida.
Jamming
Under weeping willows and oak trees, musicians gather to […]
NEW ORLEANS - Energy company BP has announced that its latest attempt to stop the discharge of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico has failed.
In a Saturday evening briefing, BP executive Doug Suttles said the company was unable to stop the flow of oil using heavy drilling fluid and other materials to plug the […]
WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday the United States needs to apply its global power in different ways, and cannot have a “militarized model of diplomacy”. She spoke as the Obama administration unveiled a new national security doctrine putting diplomacy and development on an equal footing with the use of military force.
The […]
WARSAW - U.S. troops and Patriot missile batteries arrived in Poland this week, where they will be stationed in the northern town of Morag, just 64 kilometers from the Russian border. The training mission ties Poland more firmly to NATO, but also re-ignites Russian concerns over missile defense in the region.
Here in Morag, a small […]
WASHINGTON - The head of the U.S. agency that regulates offshore drilling has resigned as the Obama Administration attempts to address the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico more aggressively.
The departure of U.S. Minerals Management Service Director Elizabeth Birnbaum was announced Thursday by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar during a Congressional hearing.
The mineral management […]
SEOUL - In a sharp escalation of tensions with South Korea, North Korea says it is discarding military procedures the two sides have agreed to follow for years to ensure a conflict does not get out of hand.
The general staff of the North Korean People’s Army issued a notice Thursday dismantling a wide range of […]
BUDAPEST - Hungary’s new parliament has adopted a controversial law that will grant citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring nations nearly nine decades after the country lost two-thirds of its territory. The law comes Wednesday despite a major
diplomatic row with neighboring Slovakia which has immidiately retaliated with legislation banning double citizenship.
The Hungarian new law […]
WASHINGTON - In U.S. politics, opposition Republicans remain confident as they look ahead to November’s midterm congressional elections, expecting that they will gain seats at the expense of Democrats. But most political experts remain unsure about whether Republicans will gain enough seats to retake control of the House of Representatives, the Senate, or both.
Public opinion […]
WASHINGTON - President Obama is reported to be preparing steps to bolster security along the U.S.-Mexico border, including sending National Guard troops to the area. The president traveled to Capitol Hill Tuesday where border security and immigration were key topics in a discussion with minority Senate Republicans about his agenda for the remainder of this […]
SEOUL - North Korea is stepping up warnings of military action against South Korea. Meanshile, the South is preparing for joint naval drills with the United States, after formally accusing Pyongyang of sinking one of its patrol ships.
North Korean official media accused South Korea Tuesday of trespassing in its territorial waters, and warned of military […]
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Coast Guard commandant says there is no alternative at this point but to allow BP to continue with the steps it is taking to stop the deep sea oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. The Obama administration faced more sharp questions on Monday about BP’s response to the disaster, and […]
WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States fully supports the measures South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s has announced in response to a North Korean attack on one of the south’s warships. Speaking in the Chinese capital Monday, Clinton said if the evidence warrants, the United States could put Pyongyang back on […]
JERUSALEM - Amid simmering regional tensions, Israel is holding a dress rehearsal for disaster.
Israel is holding a big five-day civil-defense drill across the country aimed at preparing for the possibility of war. Soldiers, emergency crews and civilians are taking part in the exercise, which deals with the threat of massive rocket and missile attacks with […]
WASHINGTON - U.S. officials and local leaders expressed frustration Sunday with the ongoing efforts to plug a leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico and prevent oil from damaging coastlines.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he does not have confidence in oil company BP’s efforts to stop the leak and contain the oil.
He said the […]
WASHINGTON - The United States and Japan have agreed on a deal to relocate an air base on the island of Okinawa.
Japanese media, quoting unnamed government sources, said Saturday that the U.S. Marines’ Futenma base would be moved from Ginowan to the city of Nago, on the northern part of the island. The two countries […]
WASHINGTON - The United States and Libya have signed a deal to facilitate bilateral trade and investment, the latest step to defuse past tensions between the two countries.
Economic officials from both countries signed the framework agreement Thursday in Libya’s capital, Tripoli.
The agreement mandates the formation of a joint council to address trade and investment issues […]
WASHINGTON - U.S. stock prices edged higher Friday after the U.S. Senate passed the biggest overhaul of the nation’s financial system since the 1930s. The Senate measure must be reconciled with a version passed earlier in the House of Representatives, but it still marks a major policy victory for President Barack Obama. What remains uncertain […]
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is under more pressure regarding his administration’s actions to deal with the month-long Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Much of Thursday’s briefing by the president’s spokesman was taken up with questions about the scope of the disaster and the response by BP.
With oil still spewing from the well some 1,500 […]
WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has denounced North Korea for the sinking of a South Korean warship and said the reclusive country must face consequences.
She made the remarks shortly after arriving in Japan for the start of her three-nation tour of East Asia. Clinton said the United States is consulting with Japan, […]
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama’s Director of National intelligence, Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Dennis Blair, is stepping down. Blair’s tenure has been controversial, including criticism that he was not as effective as he could have been as the nation’s top intelligence official.
In a statement late Thursday, President Obama praised Admiral Blair, saying he had served […]
NEW ORLEANS - Oil company BP says it is siphoning nearly 800,000 liters of oil a day from a broken underwater well in the Gulf of Mexico. The figure indicates the leak is larger than estimated earlier.
The company, relying on U.S. Coast Guard estimates, had said in late April that 800,000 liters was the total […]
