There are 17999 articles

  • US oil spill 'growing rapidly'

    Satellite images taken of a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have shown the slick could be three times larger than previously estimated, analysts have said, as poor weather conditions continue to hamper efforts to clean up the oil and prevent a major environmental disaster. Images taken of the slick from a ruptured underwater well indicate that.. More

  • Anger at Belgian face veil ban

    Muslims, academics and human rights groups have hit out at a looming public ban in Belgium on the full face veil, following a decision in the country's parliament to make the wearing of the article of clothing illegal. The vote on Thursday was almost unanimous with 134 MPs in support of the law and just two abstentions. "I think they're trying.. More

  • US halt offshore oil drilling

    Barack Obama, the US president, has ordered all new domestic offshore oil drilling to be put on hold until the current disaster has been fully investigated. Obama said on Friday that the government had dispatched teams to the coast "to inspect all deep water rigs and platforms to address safety concerns", after oil from a massive spill in.. More

  • France admits killing Afghan kids

    The French army has admitted killing four children with a missile strike in a Taliban-controlled area of Afghanistan. "This happened on April 6, but it only came out today because, according to French military spokesman, it took that long to carry out the investigation," Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid, reporting from Kabul, said on Thursday. The.. More

  • Belgian politicians pass veil ban

    Belgian politicians have voted overwhelmingly to ban the wearing of full face veils in public. The vote in the lower house of the federal parliament saw 136 deputies back a nationwide ban on clothes or veils that do not allow the wearer to be fully identified. The ban will be imposed in streets, public gardens and sports grounds or buildings "meant.. More

  • Afghan MP says US troops raid home, kill relative

    U.S. troops raided the home of a female member of the Afghan parliament and killed a neighbor who was one of her relatives, the MP said on Thursday, an incident that sparked angry protests in the east. A spokesman for foreign forces in Afghanistan said Western and Afghan troops had raided a house in the area and shot dead an armed man but was not able.. More

  • India and Pakistan to reopen talks

    India and Pakistan's prime ministers are set to meet on the sidelines of a summit of south Asian leaders in Bhutan as allegations of espionage threaten chances of a return to substantive peace talks. India arrested a female diplomat working at its embassy in Islamabad on Tuesday on suspicion of passing secrets to Pakistani intelligence. Madhuri Gupta,.. More

  • Israeli troops kill Gaza protester

    Israeli soldiers have shot and killed a 19-year-old Palestinian during a protest against a buffer zone being built between the eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, Gaza medical officials have said. Moaweya Hassanein, was shot in the abdomen, the head of Gaza's emergency services, told reporters. He was evacuated to hospital in critical condition, where.. More

  • Thai troops clash with red shirts

    One soldier has reportedly been killed and several people have been injured in fierce clashes between security forces and anti-government red shirt protesters in the Thai capital, Bangkok. The clashes on Wednesday came after police and soldiers opened fire with rubber bullets and live ammunition in an attempt to halt a convoy of red shirts headed for.. More

  • US mulls plan to burn leaking oil

    The US coast guard has said it is considering using controlled fires to burn off oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico after an offshore drilling rig exploded and sunk last week. Rear-Admiral Mary Landry said pools of oil could be trapped in containment booms and set on fire as early as Wednesday. The technique has had success in the past, but would.. More

  • Somalia clashes leave many dead

    At least 14 civilians have been killed during a battle between government soldiers and opposition fighters, witnesses say. Tuesday's clashes followed a separate car bomb attack in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, by al-Shabab fighters on the base of African Union forces. The AU forces fired on the explosives-laden vehicle, killing its three occupants. After.. More

  • Ousted Kyrgyz president charged with mass killing

    The ousted president of Kyrgyzstan has been charged with organizing mass killings in the deadly uprising that forced him from office in this Central Asian country earlier this month, the leader of the interim authorities said Tuesday. Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who is in exile in Belarus, will have his presidential immunity stripped to face the Kyrgyz charges,.. More

  • Chaos marks Ukraine base debate

    Fighting has broken out at Ukraine's parliament, with opposition politicians throwing eggs and smoke bombs amid a debate on a deal with Russia over an important naval base. Thousands of protesters also gathered outside the building to demonstrate against plans to allow Russia to keep its Black Sea fleet in Ukraine until 2042. The chamber of the parliament.. More

  • Turkey adopts changes for constitutional court in reform talks

    The Turkish parliament continued late on Sunday debating a government-backed constitutional amendment package. After completing discussions on proposals by political parties, Turkish parliament debated and voted articles 16, 17 and 18 of the constitutional reform package. A total of 407 deputies attended the secret voting of Article 16 that allows.. More

  • Sudan president wins re-election, official results revealed

    Sudan's election commission says President Omar al-Bashir has been re-elected in the country's first multiparty balloting in 24 years. Commission official Abel Alier said on Monday that al-Bashir garnered 68 percent of over 10 million valid ballots. The five-day voting earlier this month was marred by boycotts and allegations of fraud. International.. More