LA Times News

LA Times News

An Egyptian cafe on the sidelines of history

Posted: 24 Apr 2011 04:37 PM PDT

In his 68 years at Cafe Riche in Cairo, waiter Felfel has accumulated many tales of the movers and shakers in modern Egypt. 'It will take time to lift the country again,' he says of the latest upheaval.

Azer Farag Azer is here. So are the caricaturist and the writers, lots of writers, and that tall dentist, the son of the movie star. All here for lunch, herring and boiled egg.

Rights group seeks sanctions against Syria over protesters' deaths

Posted: 24 Apr 2011 02:33 PM PDT

With 300 protesters dead, Human Rights Watch has called for travel bans, the freezing of assets and other international sanctions against Syrian officials who had a role in violent crackdowns.

A major human rights organization took the unusual step Sunday of calling for international sanctions against Syrian officials in the killings of hundreds of peaceful protesters during weeks of antigovernment rallies.

Yemen's protesters unswayed by deal to oust president

Posted: 24 Apr 2011 01:23 PM PDT

A day after a deal that would end President Ali Abdullah Saleh's rule within 30 days, thousands of protesters continue to turn out, demanding he quit immediately. 'We're not leaving,' says one organizer in Sana.

A political deal for Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to relinquish power within 30 days failed to persuade thousands of antigovernment protesters spread across the nation Sunday to reel in their banners, fold up their camps and go home.

One Israeli killed, three hurt in West Bank shooting

Posted: 24 Apr 2011 10:15 AM PDT

A Palestinian security officer opens fire on a convoy of ultra-Orthodox Jewish worshippers who had entered a religious site in a Palestinian-administered area without permission and then refused to stop, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.

An Israeli man was killed and three others wounded Sunday when a Palestinian security officer opened fire on a convoy of ultra-Orthodox Jewish worshippers who had entered a religious site in a Palestinian-administered area without permission and then ignored orders to stop, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.

Roadside bomb kills 2 NATO soldiers in Afghanistan

Posted: 24 Apr 2011 08:06 AM PDT

Sunday's casualties in southern Afghanistan bring the weekend NATO death toll to three. A provincial peace council leader is assassinated in the south.

A roadside bomb killed two NATO troops in southern Afghanistan on Sunday as international forces braced for a spring surge in fighting.

In Easter message, pope urges diplomacy in Libya

Posted: 24 Apr 2011 09:20 AM PDT

Pope Benedict XVI offered an Easter prayer Sunday for diplomacy to prevail over warfare in Libya and for citizens of the Middle East to build a new society based on respect.

Hindu holy man Sathya Sai Baba dies at 86

Posted: 23 Apr 2011 11:26 PM PDT

Millions of followers worldwide considered him a living god. Hundreds of thousands are expected to turn out for the funeral of the guru, who also was involved in controversy.

Hindu holy man Sathya Sai Baba, considered a living god by millions of followers worldwide, died Sunday in a hospital near his southern Indian ashram, a doctor said. He was 86.

Deportees from U.S. face bleak prospects in Haiti

Posted: 23 Apr 2011 10:23 PM PDT

After the catastrophic 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the U.S. suspended deportations. The practice resumed three months ago, to the outcry of human rights activists and Haitian government protests.

Dumped in a squalid holding cell and then shunned by a society he doesn't know, Patrick Escarment struggles to learn Creole and build a life in earthquake-devastated Haiti.

Attempt to freeze Moammar Kadafi's assets hits resistance

Posted: 23 Apr 2011 09:16 PM PDT

Some countries have done little to cut off tens of billions that Libya's Kadafi family has spread around the globe, officials say, allowing the leader access to an enormous amount of cash.

The international drive to freeze the Libyan regime's foreign assets is running into stiff resistance in many parts of the world, allowing Moammar Kadafi to dig into a vast hoard of cash that has helped him cling to power as he battles rebel forces.

Germany's weakened Merkel struggles to regain her clout

Posted: 23 Apr 2011 09:16 PM PDT

Missteps on nuclear energy, a popular colleague's resignation and the euro debt crisis have made Chancellor Angela Merkel look clumsy, scheming and in a bit of a panic.

Can Merkel get her mojo back?