U.S. and the World
Egyptian Security Forces Raid Offices of U.S.-Funded NGOs
Security forces in Egypt this week raided the offices of at least six non-governmental organizations and confined their staffs at gunpoint while police searched through files and computers.
Three of the NGOs were American-based: Freedom House;... read more
Judge Says Ex-Guantánamo Prisoner, Tortured by Al-Qaeda, Taliban and U.S., Can’t Sue
Abdul Rahim Abdul Razak al-Janko has been denied justice by the country that wrongfully imprisoned him for seven years.
The former Guantánamo detainee, a Kurd from Syria, sued the U.S. government after being freed in October 2009, and after Am... read more
ATF Loosens Restrictions on Gun Sales to Foreigners
The Obama administration has decided to eliminate a 1998 restriction on the sale of guns to foreigners, claiming federal law does not allow the government to have different gun-control rules for noncitizens.
In a letter to firearms dealers, th... read more
For German Carmakers, U.S. Workers are a Bargain
U.S. auto maker executives and their political allies have clamored for industry workers to accept wage cuts so American cars can become more competitive with foreign models.
But numbers out of Germany demonstrate that higher wages for auto wo... read more
U.S. and China Fight European Airline Pollution Charges
U.S. and Chinese airlines are determined to fight off Europe’s attempts to force their joining in the fight against global warming.
On January 1, the European Union plans to begin charging airline companies for their greenhouse gas emissions. ... read more
Federal Court Orders Boston College to Release IRA Oral Histories
Boston College may have to violate its promise of confidentiality given to members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) who participated in an oral history project.
The school’s Belfast Project recorded about 25 interviews with IRA paramilitarie... read more
U.S. Lawyer Takes $20,000 a Month to Defend Sudan’s Dictator
Bart S. Fisher, a veteran international trade lawyer, is not a popular guy these days in Washington after agreeing to work for Sudan’s government and lobby the Obama administration.
Human rights groups and Republican lawmaker Frank Wolf of Vir... read more
Are Foreign Call Centers Endangering U.S. Security?
The off-shoring of call-center jobs has become not only a frustrating reality for Americans, but also a potential risk for individuals’ personal information.
One study produced for PricewaterhouseCoopers found that 83% of outsourcing companies... read more
A Visit to North Korea (In Disguise)
Having written about dictators for many years, I thought I would try to visit North Korea, the worst of the worst. Because I had written harshly about Kim Jong-il, and included a chapter about him in my book Tyrants: The World's 20 Worst Living Di... read more
Chinese Communists in Violent Shutdown of Christmas Celebration
Christians in Xintan village in China’s Zhejiang province had their public Christmas celebration broken up by local police before it even began this week. After setting up a stage, banners and sound system in the village square, organizers were to... read more
States Scramble for Execution Drug as Other Countries Balk
The United States’ use of lethal injection is itself in danger of dying, as American officials continue to struggle to find new supplies of a key drug used for executions.
For most of this year, officials from various states have tried to impo... read more
Japan Using Disaster Aid Funds to Protect Whaling against Protests
Japan’s government is being criticized for spending some of its earthquake disaster relief funds on its whaling fleet, which has struggled to meet its quotas due to harassment from conservationists.
The Fisheries Agency plans to spend an ext... read more
Republicans Demand Obama Fire Ambassador to Belgium Over Comments on Anti-Semitism
Conservatives have demanded that President Barack Obama fire his ambassador to Belgium for remarks linking anti-Semitism to the unresolved Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The two leading Republican candidates for president, Mitt Romney and Newt ... read more
Global Financial Crisis Doesn’t Impede Record Jump in Carbon Dioxide
Efforts to slow the effects of global warming went out the window last year with a record release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A small number of big developing nations, trying to stimulate their economies out of the global recession, fue... read more
Illegal Border Crossing Arrests Nosedive to Lowest Level in 40 Years
The number of illegal immigrants arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border has continued to decline, down to a 40-year low.
About 327,000 people were apprehended during fiscal year 2011, according to the Department of Homeland Security. This figure i... read more
Chile Asks for Extradition of Ex-U.S. Navy Captain for 1973 Murder
Former U.S. Navy Captain Ray E. Davis faces an extradition order from Chile for participating in the murders of two Americans shortly after a military coup toppled the regime of President Salvador Allende in 1973.
A Chilean judge wants Davis ... read more