CANBERRA – Australia’s Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott has unveiled his new cabinet, calling it a highly experienced line-up. The appointments broadly followed the line up while in opposition, but included a major promotion for finance. As expected Julie Bishop became foreign minister – the only woman to be named to Mr Abbott’s frontbench. Mr Abbott…
MOSCOW – Russians and Americans have been duking it out in the Twitter world over who’s scoring more points in high-stakes diplomatic wrangling over Syria, U.S. President Barack Obama or Russian President Vladimir Putin. Samantha Power, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, tweeted Thursday: “Three days ago there seemed no diplomatic way to hold Assad…
WASHINGTON – Russia’s plan to dismantle Syria’s chemical arsenal is “doable but difficult”, according to US officials. The Russian and US foreign ministers are due to hold talks in Geneva over the plan, which involves Syria handing its stockpile to foreign observers. Both sides are taking teams of experts, saying the disarmament process could be…
WASHINGTON – US President Barack Obama has postponed a Congress vote on military action in Syria, vowing to pursue diplomacy to remove the regime’s chemical weapons. Damascus has admitted for the first time that it has chemical weapons, and has agreed to abide by a Russian plan to hand over its arsenal. The US threatened…
DAMASCUS – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has told a US broadcaster there is “no evidence” that his government has used chemical weapons. In the interview with PBS, to be aired on Monday, he also suggested his allies would retaliate if the West attacked. US Secretary of State John Kerry has been lobbying hard for military…
CANBERRA – Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has conceded defeat in the general election, as Tony Abbott’s Liberal-National coalition swept to power. Mr Abbot said he looked forward to forming a competent and trustworthy government. With about two-thirds of the votes counted, the opposition coalition had secured a parliamentary majority. The campaign has been dramatic,…
CANBERRA – Australian political rivals Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott have hit the campaign trail in a final push for votes ahead of Saturday’s election. Opinion polls place the opposition coalition, led by Mr Abbott, ahead of the ruling Labor party. But Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appealed to undecided voters, saying they could close the…
WASHINGTON – A US Senate panel has approved the use of military force in Syria, in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack. By 10-7, the Committee on Foreign Relations moved the measure to a full Senate vote, expected next week. The proposal allows the use of force in Syria for 60 days with the…
MOSCOW – World leaders from the G20 group of nations are set to meet in Russia amid sharp differences over military action against Syria’s government. Ahead of the talks, Russia’s Vladimir Putin warned that action without UN approval would be “an aggression”. But President Barack Obama said the credibility of the international community was on…
ISLAMABAD – New murder charges have been registered against Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, officials say. Mr Musharraf, who is currently under house arrest, already faces murder charges over the deaths of Benazir Bhutto and a Baloch tribal leader. He also faces charges over his attempt to sack Pakistan’s higher judiciary in 2007 and…
