Israel premier vows to proceed with E-1 settlement

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Israel's prime minister pledged Sunday to move ahead with construction of a new Jewish settlement in a strategic part of the West Bank, speaking just hours after Israeli forces dragged dozens of Palestinian activists from the area.The activists pitched more than two dozen tents at the site on Friday, laying claim to the land and drawing attention to Israel's internationally...

Read More..

Egyptian appeals court orders Mubarak retrial

CAIRO (AP) — A Cairo appeals court on Sunday overturned Hosni Mubarak's life sentence and ordered a retrial of the former Egyptian president for failing to prevent the killing of hundreds of protesters during the 2011 uprising that toppled his regime.The ruling put the spotlight back on the highly divisive issue of justice for the former leader — and his top security officers — in a country has been...

Read More..

Iran's election tip to critics: Keep quiet

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Elections to pick Iran's next president are still five months away, but that's not too early for some warning shots by the country's leadership.The message to anyone questioning the openness of the June vote: Keep quiet.A high-level campaign — including blunt remarks by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — seeks to muzzle any open dissent over the process to select the successor...

Read More..

Palestinians change their name following UN bid

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The Palestinian president has ordered his government to officially change the name of the Palestinian Authority to "State of Palestine."The move follows the November decision by the United Nations to upgrade the Palestinians' status to that of a "non-member observer state."President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday that all official Palestinian stamps, stationery and documents...

Read More..

Assad calls on Syrians to defend the country

BEIRUT (AP) — President Bashar Assad called on Syrians to defend their country against Islamic extremists seeking to destroy the nation, dismissing any prospect of dialogue with the "murderous criminals" he says are behind the uprising even as he outlined his vision for a peaceful settlement to the civil war.In a one-hour speech to the nation in which he appeared confident and relaxed, Assad struck...

Read More..

AP Interview: Palestinian PM blasts Arab donors

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The Palestinian self-rule government is close to being "completely incapacitated," largely because Arab countries haven't delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in promised aid, the Palestinian prime minister said in an interview Sunday.If allowed to continue, the Palestinian Authority's unprecedented financial crisis will quickly double the number of Palestinian poor...

Read More..

About 25 arrested in Moscow New Year's Eve protest

 About 25 people reportedly have been arrested in Moscow on New Year's Eve for trying to hold an unsanctioned protest.The gathering at Triumphalnaya Square in central Moscow on Monday attracted 50 to 100 people.Among those arrested was prominent radical writer Eduard Limonov; the Interfax news agency cited activists as saying about 25 people were taken into custody.For about two years, activists...

Read More..

Pope marks end of difficult year, notes God's good

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI marked the end of a difficult year Monday by saying that despite all the death and injustice in the world, goodness prevails.Benedict celebrated New Year's Eve with a vespers service in St. Peter's Basilica to give thanks for 2012 and look ahead to 2013. He appeared tired during the service and used a cane afterward — an indication that the busy Christmas season...

Read More..

Pope convinced of peace in 2013 despite world woes

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI said Tuesday he is convinced that peace will prevail in 2013, despite the inequality, terrorism and "unregulated financial capitalism" that afflict the world today.Benedict celebrated a New Year's Day Mass in St. Peter's Basilica to mark the church's world day of peace. His target audience was in the front pews: diplomats accredited to the Holy See, who next week...

Read More..

France counts 1,193 cars torched on New Year's Eve

Hundreds of empty, parked cars go up in flames in France each New Year's Eve, set afire by young revelers, a much lamented tradition that remained intact this year with 1,193 vehicles burned, Interior Minister Manuel Valls said Tuesday.His announcement was the first time in three years that such figures have been released. The conservative government of former President Nicolas Sarkozy had decided...

Read More..

Trade, tax, transparency on June G8 meet agenda - UK

Trade, tax compliance and promoting greater transparency will be the main focus of the next meeting of leaders of the Group of Eight major economies in June, Britain said on Wednesday as it assumed the group's rotating presidency.Prime Minister David Cameron said he hoped the group's seven other member nations - the United States, France, Russia, Italy, Japan, Canada and Germany - would join Britain...

Read More..

Police: Idaho US Sen. Crapo arrested in northern Virginia, charged with DUI

U.S. Sen. Michael Crapo was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with driving under the influence in a Washington, D.C., suburb, authorities said.Police in Alexandria, Va., said Sunday that the Idaho Republican was pulled over after his vehicle ran a red light. Police spokesman Jody Donaldson said Crapo failed field sobriety tests and was arrested at about 12:45 a.m. He was transported to the...

Read More..

Indian police shut down roads in heart of New Delhi to prevent more protests against gang rape

 Authorities have shut down roads in the heart of India's capital to put an end to weeklong demonstrations against the brutal gang rape of a woman in a moving bus.Thousands of armed police and paramilitary troops blocked roads in central New Delhi on Monday to prevent protesters from marching to the presidential palace.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed for calm and promised that the government...

Read More..

Russian leader Putin in India for talks focusing on trade, reinvigorating political ties

 Russian President Vladimir Putin is in India for talks intended to help cement Russia's position in the growing Indian market and reinvigorate political ties.Following meetings Monday between Putin and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Moscow and New Delhi are expected to sign agreements on trade, science, education and law enforcement.While the volume of Russian-Indian trade has risen sixfold...

Read More..

Afghan policewoman kills American adviser at Kabul police HQ

An Afghan police official says an Afghan policewoman has killed an American adviser at the Kabul police headquarters.Kabul's Deputy Police Chief Mohammad Daoud Amin says an investigation is underway to determine whether the killing today was intentional or accidental.It was not known whether the victim was a military or civilian adviser.The NATO military command says it's looking into reports of the...

Read More..

Lawmakers worry 'fiscal cliff' deal elusive; some predict small-scale patch may be only option

With anxiety rising as the country lurches towards a "fiscal cliff," lawmakers are increasingly skeptical about a possible deal and some predict the best possibility would be a small-scale patch because time is running out before the yearend deadline.Sen. Joe Lieberman predicted Sunday: "We're going to spend New Year's Eve here, I believe."Even those who see the possibility of a deal don't expect...

Read More..

Japan's hawkish Abe claims the win, but not a mandate

Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party may have secured a convincing victory on Sunday, but it can hardly claim a mandate.The vagaries of the Japanese electoral system and the sheer number of party choices on offer left the LDP with about 30 percent of the popular vote, in an election that saw a postwar low turnout of 59.3 percent.The incoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe responded with a dose of humility,...

Read More..

NBC's Richard Engel released in Syria, a journalist danger zone

• A daily summary of global reports on security issues.NBC News Chief Correspondent Richard Engel and three members of his production crew were released safely from captivity last night, five days after being kidnapped in Syria, the news network reports. It is unclear who is responsible for the kidnapping, but the episode highlights the dangerous nature of reporting in war-torn Syria, a country the...

Read More..

For Brits, Newtown shooting brings reminders of Dunblane

The massacre at Sandy Hook  elementary school has sent a particular chill down the spines of Britons, particularly those old enough to remember the 1996 massacre of 16 children and their teacher by a lone gunman at a Scottish school.But while that tragedy catalyzed Britain’s evolution into a country with some of the toughest gun laws in the world, the cultural divide between the US and Britain...

Read More..

In Venezuela, the future of Chavismo is tested

When Venezuela’s leader, Hugo Chávez, won a clear victory in presidential elections  in October, it was hardly surprising: The opposition had mounted its strongest campaign ever. But over the course of his 14 years in power, Mr. Chávez  has remained widely popular and been re-elected on four separate occasions – no matter oil prices, world politics, or who is in charge in Washington.Now,...

Read More..