Monthly Archives: April 2011

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama on Saturday kept pressure on the Congress to end tax breaks for oil and gas companies, saying they were enjoying huge profits, as he sought to limit political fallout from rising gasoline prices. With … Continue reading →

BEIRUT – Military reinforcements poured into the besieged southern Syrian town of Daraa on Saturday, a day after President Bashar Assad unleashed deadly force to crush a months-old revolt, killing at least 65 people. Four tanks, 20 armored personnel carriers … Continue reading →

MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Republican presidential contest executed a soft launch this weekend, with eager but unofficial contenders focusing all their criticisms on President Barack Obama at a New Hampshire dinner — and none on each other. Eventually, of course, … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON – Sarah Palin has had a sliding spring. Her support among Republicans has shrunk. She’s kept an uncharacteristically low profile. And there’s no evidence that she’s anywhere close to announcing whether she will run for president. But it’s clear … Continue reading →

LONDON – Newlyweds Prince William and Kate Middleton left Buckingham Palace by helicopter Saturday morning and will soon start their honeymoon. But their destination has been kept a closely-guarded secret. The couple, who married Friday at an opulent ceremony at … Continue reading →

TOKYO – Criticism of the Japanese government’s handling of the crisis at a radiation-spewing nuclear power plant increased Saturday, with a new poll indicating three-quarters of the people disapprove and a key adviser quitting in protest. A Kyodo News service … Continue reading →

ABOARD THE POPIELUSZKO TRAIN – They slept in the aisles and celebrated Mass in the restaurant car. Eight hundred Poles boarded a special train Friday night for a 26-hour trip across Europe, bound for Rome and the beatification of the … Continue reading →

KABUL, Afghanistan – The Taliban on Saturday announced the beginning of their spring military offensive against the U.S.-led coalition, a day after a new Pentagon report claimed that the militants’ fighting spirit was low after sustaining heavy losses on the … Continue reading →

PRATT CITY, Ala. – The beat-up pickup truck patrolled beat-up Pratt City, stopping at taped-off intersections as volunteers jumped out of the back to hand out water, groceries, even hot dogs to beleaguered residents of this storm-ravaged Birmingham suburb. Down … Continue reading →