Month: January 2022

By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — A leading Sudanese protest group has rejected a United Nations initiative to hold talks with the military aimed at restoring the country’s democratic transition following an October coup. The move suggests Sudan’s political deadlock and relentless street protests are likely to continue, with at least 60 people

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s ruling parties are hitting the brakes on plans for compulsory coronavirus vaccinations, saying it may take months for lawmakers to properly debate the contentious measure in parliament. German media reported that a bill may not pass both houses of parliament until April, and implementation could take

by RADUL RADOVANOVIC Associated Press BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Under growing international pressure over their leader’s secessionist aspirations, Bosnian Serbs have celebrated an outlawed holiday with a provocative parade showcasing armored vehicles, police helicopters and law enforcement officers with rifles, marching in lockstep and singing a nationalist song. The Jan. 9 holiday commemorates the

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s new parliament has held its first session, nearly three months after Iraqis voted in a general election whose results have been contested by powerful Iran-backed factions. The meeting ushers in what is likely to be a lengthy period of political wrangling among rival groups to choose

By BEN FOX Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Advocates for closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center were hopeful when President Joe Biden took office. And they were relieved this summer as the U.S. released a prisoner. Many are now increasingly impatient. In the months since that release, there have been few signs of progress in

By KRISHAN FRANCIS Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The president of debt-ridden Sri Lanka has asked China for the restructuring of its loans and access to preferential credit for imports of essential goods, as the island nation struggles in the throes of its worst economic crisis. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa told visiting Chinese Foreign

By AAMER MADHANI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Joe Biden wraps up his first year in the White House, he has held fewer news conferences than any of  his five immediate predecessors at the same point in their presidencies. He also has participated in fewer media interviews than any of his recent predecessors.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Advocates say that Saudi authorities have released a princess detained in the kingdom under mysterious circumstances for nearly three years. The princess, Basmah bint Saud, a daughter of Saudi Arabia’s second king, disappeared with her daughter in March 2019 and landed in a notorious Saudi prison without charge, she

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani counterterrorism police say they have killed six militants from the Islamic State group in an overnight raid at a hideout in the southwestern city of Quetta. A police statement issued Sunday said the raid was based on strong intelligence that the militants were preparing to stage an attack in the