The Islamic State militant group, which controls parts of Syria and Iraq, has accepted a pledge of allegiance from the Nigeria-based Boko Haram extremist organization. In an audio statement Thursday, an Islamic State spokesman welcomed what he called the expansion of the group’s self-declared Islamic caliphate to West Africa. “The caliph, may God protect him, […]
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized an open letter sent by 47 U.S. Republican Senators to Tehran about the ongoing negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, saying the move showed “disintegration” in U.S. politics. The letter warns that the next U.S. president could revoke any deal Iran may reach with a group of six world […]
KOLKATA—India is struggling to contain a wave of swine flu. The death toll has surpassed 1,500 since the infection took hold in mid-December. About 26,000 people have tested positive for the virus, and health officials say infections are continuing to spread as current unseasonal rains and high humidity that allow the virus to thrive. Indian […]
Ivory Coast’s former first lady Simone Gbagbo has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in 2011 post-election violence. A court in Abidjan on Tuesday found Gbagbo guilty of undermining state security and organizing armed gangs in violence that left 3,000 people dead. She and her husband, Laurent Gbagbo, disputed the 2010 […]