President Obama says withdrawal marks beginning of ‘efforts to wind down the war’WASHINGTON (AP) ― Beginning to wind down a long and devastating war, President Barack Obama announced Wednesday night he was pulling home 33,000 troops from Afghanistan by next summer, withdrawing the “surge” of forces he had sent to rescue a flailing effort. “The tide of war is receding,” Said Obama to a country eage

World News June 23, 2011

U.S. president to announce blueprint on withdrawal of troops, handover of powerWASHINGTON (AP) ― President Barack Obama will announce the critical next steps in America’s decade-long war in Afghanistan on Wednesday, outlining both a plan to start bringing thousands of U.S. troops home next month and a broader withdrawal blueprint aimed at giving Afghans control of their own security in 2014.But ev

World News June 21, 2011

BERLIN (AP) ― Contagion from the Greek debt crisis could spread to at least five other European countries ― including Belgium or even Italy ― if it is not cautiously managed, the head of the eurozone group warned Saturday.Jean-Claude Juncker told the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung that demanding that private creditors contribute to the next Greek bailout package could be considered a “default”

World Business June 19, 2011

BERLIN (AFP) ― German Chancellor Angela Merkel Saturday urged “substantial” aid from private creditors to resolve Greek debt woes, as the Eurogroup warned the crisis could spread like a firestorm through EU economies.“We must be sure to try to have a substantial contribution” from private creditors like banks and insurance companies for debt-laden Greece,” Merkel told a meeting of her Christian De

World Business June 19, 2011