Sochi opens 2014 Winter Olympics
Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
Updated: February 7, 2014 3:38PM SOCHI, Russia — With a flying child, floating minarets, ballet dancers, human constellations, more than 3,000 performers and an alarmingly lifelike giant bear, Sochi put on what it called “the most complex and ambitious technical show ever attempted in Olympic...
There's A New Drop-Dead Debt Ceiling Date, And House Republicans Finally Have A Plan
Business Insider
Business Insider
Congress needs to raise the nation's debt ceiling by Feb. 27 to avoid potential default on the country's obligations, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew warned in a letter to congressional leaders on Friday. It comes as House Republicans are formulating their final plan on the debt limit, according to...
ICC opens CAR 'war crimes' preliminary investigation
BBC News
BBC News
The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda says she has opened a preliminary investigation into possible war crimes in the Central African Republic (CAR). Fatou Bensouda said she had received reports of "extreme brutality by various groups". Tens of thousands...
Violence risks turning Egypt to jihadi front
The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
CAIRO -- An Islamic militant group that has waged a campaign of bombings and assassinations for months in Egypt has quickly advanced in weaponry and sophistication of attacks, drawing on the experience of Egyptians who fought in Syria's civil war. The increasing capabilities of the group, called...
Washington red-faced after top US diplomat caught on tape saying ‘f*** the EU’
The Times of India
The Times of India
KIEV, Ukraine: The United States tried to contain fallout on Friday from a leaked phone conversation in which a top diplomat uses the f-word regarding the European Union's handling of the crisis in Ukraine. The embarrassing diplomatic incident comes as Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych was due...
Dozens hurt in Bosnia protests
Independent online (SA)
Independent online (SA)
Sarajevo - More than 130 people, including 104 police officers, were injured on Thursday in a second day of anti-government demonstrations in the Bosnian town of Tuzla, as protests over unemployment and political inertia spread across the country. The protests highlight public resentment over the...
US apologises to EU for leaked barb
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Washington's new top diplomat for Europe, Victoria Nuland, has apologised to EU counterparts after she was caught cursing the European response to the crisis in Kiev. US officials, while not denying such a conversation took place, didn't go into details about the apology, and pointed the finger at...
Violent clash at protest in Rio over fare hike
New Straits/Business Times
New Straits/Business Times
RIO DE JANEIRO: Police and protesters violently clashed in Rio de Janeiro’s main train station Thursday in a demonstration against a 10-cent hike in bus fare. A cameraman for Band TV was hit in the head by either a stun grenade launched by police or a homemade explosive tossed by protesters; it was...
Pakistan holds historic 'roadmap' talks with Taliban
Canberra Times
Canberra Times
Islamabad: Negotiators for Pakistan's government and the Taliban urged an end to hostilities after meeting in the first round of talks aimed at ending the militants' bloody seven-year insurgency. The two sides gathered in Islamabad for a preliminary meeting that lasted more than three hours to chart...
Golden Temple attack: India Sikhs demand raid documents
BBC News
BBC News
The main Sikh political party in India, the Akali Dal, has protested outside the parliament, demanding that the government declassify documents related to the 1984 raid on a Sikh temple. It comes days after Britain said it advised India during the raid on the Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine....
Iraq slammed for women prisoners abuse
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Iraqi authorities are detaining thousands of women illegally and subjecting many to torture and ill-treatment, including the threat of sexual abuse, Human Rights Watch has said. Many women were detained for months or even years without charge before seeing a judge, HRW said in a report on Thursday,...
CAR still ruled by violence
Mail Guardian South Africa
Mail Guardian South Africa
The interim president of Central African Republic told the hundreds of soldiers standing in formation Wednesday that she was proud of them and called on their support to bring order to their anarchic country. Then she left, and the soldiers broke ranks to stab and stomp a man in their midst to...
Iraq illegally detains thousands of women, tortures many-HRW
Reuters
Reuters
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi authorities are detaining thousands of women illegally and subjecting many to torture and ill-treatment, including the threat of sexual abuse, Human Rights Watch said in a report published on Thursday. Many women were detained for months or even years without charge before...
US warns Russia Olympics of 'toothpaste' bomb
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
The United States has issued a warning to airports and to some airlines flying to Russia for the Olympics to watch for toothpaste tubes that could hold ingredients to make a bomb on a...
