Oddities at Western Europe and Islamism against Al-Qaida in World

World

Mammoth skeleton found in France
Archaeologists in France have unearthed a rather hairy fossil — a nearly complete skeleton of a mammoth. The bones — thought to belong to a creature ...
Architect Niemeyer back in Rio hospital
Celebrated Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer has been admitted to a hospital in Rio de Janeiro for dehydration. The Hospital Samaritano said in a ...
Western efforts on Syria shifting
Western efforts to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad shifted dramatically Wednesday, with Britain announcing it will deal directly with rebel ...
UK marines accused of murder granted anonymity
Five Royal Marines accused of a murder in Afghanistan have the right to remain anonymous during their trial because they could face attack if ...
Syrian rebels make new push into capital Damascus
Syrian rebels made a new push into Damascus on Wednesday, clashing heavily with troops in the rebellious suburbs of the capital and firing mortars at ...
France pushes ahead on gay marriage amid dissent
President Francois Hollande's Cabinet pushed ahead with a controversial French bill Wednesday that could see gay marriage legalized early next year, ...
Iraq official: Exxon Mobil wants out of big field
U.S. oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. has expressed an interest in pulling out of a major oil field development project in the country's south, a senior ...
Granny Obama, Kenya celebrate White House win
Waving her walking cane and smiling broadly, the step-grandmother of Barack Obama celebrated Wednesday as this tiny Western Kenyan village danced and ...
Global candidate: Obama was world's clear choice
He won, and the word "phew" trended worldwide on Twitter. Despite a hard-fought campaign in the United States, there was never any contest overseas.
Israel's Peres: No intention to run for premier
Israeli President Shimon Peres is playing down speculation that he might run for prime minister. The 89-year-old Nobel peace laureate said Wednesday ...
Czech government survives confidence vote
The Czech government has survived a confidence vote linked to unpopular austerity measures. In the 101-93 vote Wednesday, lawmakers approved a 1 ...
German experts lower growth forecast, urge savings
Germany's government must do more to cut spending to get its deficit under control as the economy is weakening faster than earlier expected, the ...
Turkey: Patriot missiles discussed for Syria
A Turkish official says Turkey and its allies, including the United States, have discussed the possibility of using Patriot missiles to protect a zone ...
Suicide bombing kills 5 in northwest Pakistan
A Taliban suicide bomber struck a vehicle carrying a senior Pakistani police officer on Wednesday, killing him and four other people in the country's ...
Sexes to be separated in panel advising Saudi king
A Saudi official says a screen will separate genders on the country's main advisory body to King Abdullah when women join it for the first time.
Al-Qaida leader urges Muslims to fight in Somalia
Al-Qaida's leader is urging Muslims to join militants in Somalia in the battle against African Union troops, which he says have been boosted by U.S.
Hu Jintao's legacy: A strong but strained China
As Hu Jintao steps down as head of China's Communist Party after 10 years in power, he's hearing something unusual for a Chinese leader: sharp ...
Asian stocks fall as US tallies presidential vote
Asian stock markets fell Wednesday as traders watched the final hours of a tight U.S. presidential election whose conclusion would allow politicians ...
Puerto Rico votes on US ties and chooses governor
Puerto Ricans faced a fundamental question on Election Day: Should they change their ties with the United States? Citizens in the U.S.
Syria envoy warns country could turn into Somalia
The U.N.-Arab League envoy for Syria warned Tuesday that the country could become another Somalia — where al-Qaida-linked militants and warlords ...
France to give businesses $25 billion tax break
France's government has promised €20 billion ($25 billion) in tax credits to businesses as part of a "competitiveness pact" that it hopes will spark ...
Iran hikes domestic airfares by up to 70 percent
Iranian local airlines have increased their airfares by up to 70 percent amid Western sanctions on the oil and banking system, the official IRNA news ...
Jordan seeks full gas supply resumption from Egypt
Jordan's energy minister arrived in Egypt on Tuesday for two days of talks aimed at resuming natural gas supply to the kingdom, after months of ...
Intrigue swirls around Russia defense chief's fall
Vladimir Putin fired his powerful defense chief over a corruption scandal Tuesday, but a heady mix of sex, power struggles and military vendettas ...
North Mali Islamist group says it rejects violence
An Islamist group carrying out public executions and amputations in northern Mali said Tuesday that it rejects "all forms of extremism and terrorism" ...