- Obama in Chicago for NATO Summit
President Barack Obama is in his home town of Chicago, Illinois, where he will host leaders of the 28 trans-atlantic allies for the NATO summit beginning Sunday. Obama arrived in Chicago after discussions with leaders of the Group of 8 major developed economies in Camp David, Maryland. That G8 summit covered the Eurozone debt crisis, the Arab Spring and Syria, energy security and oil prices, food security, and Afghanistan, the key focus of the NATO summit. NATO leaders, along ...
- Rights Group Accuses Egyptian Military of Torture
An international human rights group has accused Egypt's military of beating and torturing protesters arrested during a huge rally near the Defense Ministry in Cairo earlier this month. The New York-based Human Rights Watch said Saturday soldiers fired tear gas and water cannon at thousands of demonstrators demanding an immediate end to military rule and arrested some 350 people as part of its crackdown on the protests. Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director for ...
- Activists Protest G8 Summit
THURMONT, Maryland - As U.S. President Barack Obama finished meetings with leaders from the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations and African heads of state at the Camp David retreat in Maryland, demonstrations erupted in nearby towns. The protesters involved regulars of the Occupy movement as well as anti-government Ethiopian activists. Several hundred Ethiopian activists came from across the United States to protest meetings involving Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, ...
- Chinese Activist Chen Guangcheng Arrives in US
Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng, who has fought against China's one child and forced abortion policy, has finally arrived in the United States. From New Jersey's Newark International Airport Saturday evening, he was taken to the campus of New York University in Manhattan where he will work and live. Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng used crutches to help him walk on the foot he injured while escaping house arrest in China. With his wife and an American friend by ...
- G8 Summit Ends with Consensus on Eurozone Reforms
WHITE HOUSE - U.S. President Barack Obama says the leaders of the world’s biggest economies are beginning to agree that more jobs and more growth will help reverse Europe’s economic crisis. The president spoke Saturday at the end of the Group of Eight economic summit. After two days of talks at the Camp David presidential retreat outside Washington, Obama said the eight leaders acknowledge that budget cuts alone will not restore Europe’s economy. “And there is now an ...
- Olympic Flame Tours Britain, Ireland
The Olympic Flame for the London 2012 Summer Games is now on a 70 day journey around Britain and Ireland. Early Saturday, the first torchbearer set off from western England before a crowd of well- wishers. The Olympic flame arrived in Britain from Greece on Friday, escorted by Princess Anne. Soccer star David Beckham lit a ceremonial torch on the flame's arrival at the Royal Naval Air Station at Culdrose, England. Some 8,000 torchbearers will carry the symbolic ...
- 3 Charged with Terrorism Ahead of NATO Summit
Three protesters, arrested amid tight security ahead of the NATO summit in Chicago, have been charged with terrorism for possession of explosive devices. The three were arrested Wednesday, and police said they were being held for a hearing Saturday. Six others arrested at the same time were released Friday. Supporters of the three say the suspicious equipment was just part of a beer-making kit. Officials from more than 50 countries are convening for the two-day NATO summit ...
- Venezuela's Chavez Breaks Post-Treatment Silence
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has broken a week-long silence following his recent cancer therapy treatment. Chavez told state TV by phone Friday that he is working eight hours daily, following his diet and resting. The Socialist leader returned from his latest radiation treatment in Cuba eight days ago, but he has yet to disclose details about his condition. Chavez began treatments in March following operations in February and last June to remove tumors from his pelvic ...
- Obama Urges Congress to Support Financial Reform
U.S. President Barack Obama is urging Congress to support the financial reforms that he began enacting three years ago as part of efforts to protect consumers from what he called the breathtaking irresponsibility of some on Wall Street. In his weekly address, Obama accused some congressional Republicans and lobbyists of waging an all-out battle to delay and dismantle his reform provisions. Obama cited reforms that include requiring financial institutions to ...
- Burma's Suu Kyi to Address British Parliament
Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will give a historic speech to both houses of Britain's parliament next month when she makes her first trip outside the country in 24 years. British Prime Minister David Cameron invited the Nobel Peace Prize winner to come to Britain when he visited her in Burma in April. Aung San Suu Kyi has been given the rare honor of addressing the joint houses of Britain's parliament, even though she is not a head of state. She is ...
- G8 Leaders Vow to Promote Economic Growth
Leaders of the G8 highly industrialized countries say promoting growth and jobs is their imperative as they seek to reinvigorate their economies in the face of the European debt crisis. In a statement Saturday, the Group of Eight leaders also expressed their desire for Greece to remain in the eurozone and respect its commitments. The debt-ridden nation could abandon the euro to escape austerity measures, or be forced out if it fails to meet its obligations. The G8 ...
- NATO Protestors Rally in Chicago
CHICAGO - Though the NATO Summit starts May 20, protestors are already filling the streets of the host city, Chicago. Friday was originally supposed to be the opening day protest rally of the G8 meeting in the city. What started out as an organized, permitted rally against economic injustice led by National Nurses United in Chicago's Daley Plaza ended as a disorganized, unpermitted march by Occupy Wall Street protestors through the financial heart of the city. But in a show ...
- Suicide Bombing Hits Troubled Afghan Province
At least nine people are dead in the latest suicide bombing to strike Afghanistan' eastern Khost province. Provincial officials say the bomber blew himself up at a police checkpoint in the Ali Sher district Saturday, not far from the border with Pakistan. The officials said some of the victims included local civilians who had been meeting with police. At least four other people were wounded. The attack comes as world leaders prepare for a NATO summit ...
- Thousands Mark Thailand Red Shirt Crackdown
BANGKOK - Tens of thousands of pro-government “Red Shirt” supporters took to the streets of Bangkok Saturday on the second anniversary of deadly clashes between protestors and security forces that left over 90 people dead. Divisions are emerging between protestors and the government over a proposed amnesty bill that is intended to foster national reconciliation. Buddhist monks in prayer led day-long ceremonies in central Bangkok two years after a crackdown by security forces ended ...
- Syrian Situation Impacts Lebanese Tourism
Two Gulf Arab states are telling their citizens to leave Lebanon. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on Saturday called for their citizens in Lebanon to return home and for any citizens thinking about visiting Lebanon not to go. State news agencies cited clashes between pro- and anti-Syrian groups in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli. At least 8 people have been killed in sporadic clashes in Tripoli over the past week, sparking fears that ongoing fighting in Syria could ...
- Syria Blames Terrorists for Car Bombing
A car-bomb exploded outside a Syrian state security compound in the eastern oasis town of Deir el-Zour Saturday, killing nine people and wounding 100 others. Syrian TV accused terrorists of the blast, which appears to have been the second major attack against a government security building in just under 10 days. The explosion took place in the parking lot of a government military and air force intelligence compound in the oasis city near the Iraqi border. Relatives of victims sobbed ...
- G8 Leaders Discuss European Debt Crisis
Leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) leading industrialized countries are focusing on Europe's economic turmoil Saturday as they meet for the second day of their annual economic summit. Hosting the summit at the Camp David presidential retreat near Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama is pressing his fellow G8 leaders from Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia to consider a growth agenda as they discuss how to tackle the mounting debt that has threatened the ...
- Blind Chinese Activist En Route to US
Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng and his family have left China on a flight headed for the United States. The departure of the blind activist marks the end of a month-long diplomatic tussle between the two nations that followed Chen's escape from house arrest. Chen, his wife and their two children obtained their passports at Beijing's international airport, shortly before boarding a United Airlines flight. The flight is due to land at Newark airport, just outside ...
- SpaceX Rocket Launch Aborted
A technical problem has forced the company SpaceX to abort what would have been the first launch of a privately owned capsule to the International Space Station. The pre-dawn launch of the Dragon Capsule from Cape Canaveral, Florida was scrubbed half a second before it was to occur on Saturday. Initial plans are to try again Tuesday morning. The capsule is on a long, thin white rocket owned by SpaceX. It is carrying supplies for the International Space Station. ...
- Egyptians Living Abroad Cast Votes for New President
WASHINGTON - Voters in Egypt go to the polls Wednesday and Thursday [May 23 and 24] to choose a new president. Ahead of that historic election, Egyptians living overseas have been able to cast their ballots at local consulates and embassies. In the shade outside of her office in Washington, Nihal Elwan is about to do something she’s never done before. She’s voting for the president of her homeland - Egypt. She has 13 candidates to choose from - including Islamists, leftists and ...
- Hollande Meets Obama, Reaffirms Early Afghanistan Withdrawal
French President Francois Hollande and President Barack Obama have discussed Afghanistan, the eurozone crisis, Syria and other international issues in a meeting at the White House. President Hollande's White House talks, his attendance at the G8 summit in Camp David, Maryland, and the NATO summit in Chicago, are part of his international debut after his election victory. As a candidate he pledged to withdraw France's 3,400 troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year. ...
- Economists: Greek Economic Problems Could Spread
How can problems in Greece’s relatively small economy cause problems for the rest of Europe and even far-away Asia and the United States? Some economists say that international loans and worried investors are among the reasons for the fear of financial contagion. Economic austerity measures recently sparked riots in Greece as some citizens protested cuts in government spending, services, wages along with tax increases. The bitter medicine was intended to help the troubled ...
- Syrian Attacks Continue as Mass Protests Spread
Syrian government troops pounded the rebel stronghold, Rastan, and parts of the flashpoint city, Homs, Friday, amid widespread anti-government protests across the country. Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations observer forces urged both the government and the opposition to engage in dialogue to end the violence. Witnesses say Syrian security forces fired tear-gas and live rounds to break up a student protest in Aleppo Friday. The demonstration was billed as the largest of its kind in ...
- Eritrean President Discusses Path to Development
Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki calls the country’s development drive over two decades of independence “a success story.” “We have achieved a lot, and our culture has helped us a lot to create an environment for sustainable development,” he told VOA in an exclusive interview ahead of the 21 st anniversary of his country’s independence on May 24. “Our main objective for the last 21 years was to create an environment for real independence… We have put ...
- Ukraine Under Increasing Fire Over Jailed Ex-PM
MOSCOW - The government of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has given the European Union permission to send specialists to assess the condition of jailed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who says she was beaten by prison guards last month while being transferred to a hospital for treatment of a back condition. Meanwhile, criticism in connection with Tymoshenko's incarceration is mounting in the West, with some European leaders threatening to boycott the Euro 2012 football ...
- Turkey Seeks to Revive Its EU Bid
ISTANBUL - Turkey is showing renewed interest in reviving its stalled bid to join the European Union now that Nicolas Sarkozy, one of its key opponents, is no longer the president of France. The 27-nation bloc also seems keen to put life back into Ankara's membership aspirations. The election of French President Francois Hollande has been welcomed in Ankara. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal said there already is a positive atmosphere. Well, we hope and ...
- Tight, Negative US Presidential Campaign Expected: Analysts
Less than six months before the U.S. presidential election, new polls show a deadlocked race between President Barack Obama and his expected Republican opponent, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. The intense verbal jousting between the Obama and Romney campaigns has begun early and political analysts predict a long and largely negative campaign between now and November. Frank Newport is a pollster with one of the most respected monitors of U.S. public opinion, the Gallup ...
- Montana Man's Not too Old to Clown Around
'Creeky' Creekmore, 95, makes Guinness Book of World Records
- UNESCO: Warns Heritage Sites in Mali, Arab World at Risk
UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations cultural organization, UNESCO , warns that world heritage sites in the West African country of Mali and in the Arab world are at risk of damage and theft as political upheaval sweeps through those states. Distruction of historical manuscripts The ancient city of Timbuktu saw its golden age as an Islamic intellectual and spiritual center in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its three great mosques, the Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, ...
- Pentagon Says China's Military Getting Stronger
A new Pentagon report says China is steadily building its military and expanding its capabilities to operate far from its shores. In its annual report to Congress, the U.S. Defense Department says China's military budget continues to grow as Beijing modernizes its military to eventually be able to carry out what the Beijing government calls new historic missions, which could include some in places far beyond China's shores. David Helvey, an acting deputy assistant ...
- Internet Fair Showcases Innovation, Diversity
The atmosphere is electric at Internet Week New York’s headquarters in the city's trendy Soho neighborhood, as computer programmers, artists, entrepreneurs, investors and journalists browse and compare notes on the latest trends in the Internet industry. “I think that people who work in this industry are really, really vocal advocates for what they do, says Greg James of the global advertising agency, Cake. There is a real passion about it. So you come to an event like this ...
- UN Nuclear Chief to Visit Iran
WASHINGTON - The United Nations top nuclear official will travel Sunday to Tehran for talks with senior Iranian negotiators, raising the possibility of advancing inspections of Iran’s controversial nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency announced the surprise visit of Director General Yukiya Amano to Tehran saying he would discuss issues of mutual interest with high Iranian officials. Western officials have said the IAEA and Iran have been making ...
- Record Number of Africans Flee to Yemen
A record number of African refugees and migrants have arrived in Yemen this year. Most are from Ethiopia. U.N. refugee agency spokesman Andrej Mahecic says more people are crossing the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to get to Yemen. “There are now more than 43,000 people – migrants and refugees – from the Horn of Africa who have reached Yemen during the first four months of this year. We are looking at the record figures compared to the same period last year or any other year before,” he said. ...
- Obama Announces Food Initiative for Africa
WHITE HOUSE - U.S. President Barack Obama has announced a plan aimed at lifting 50 million Africans out of poverty in the next 10 years. Private companies from around the world have pledged more than $3 billion toward the effort. With the leaders of several African countries watching, the president said Friday that governments, private industries and organizations will work together to improve Africa's food security. Today, I can announce a new ...
- Egypt's Moussa Stresses Experience in Time of Flux
CAIRO - Veteran diplomat Amr Moussa is one of the top contenders in Egypt's presidential election May 23-24. Moussa's past is both a strength and a weakness. The former foreign minister and ex- Arab League chief says he is ready to lead the nation. The country is in a major crisis, noted Moussa. And a major crisis would not justify at all a president who will ask around 'What do I do on this point, or that point' and gaining ...
- Moody’s Downgrades Spanish Banks
World stocks fell Friday, after the credit rating of more than a dozen Spanish banks was downgraded. The blow comes amid investor fears about the stability of the eurozone. Residents on the streets of Spain’s capital, Madrid, seemed resigned to the downgrading. One resident said the measure should have happened a long time ago because the banks in Spain are not in a good position to secure deposits and accounts. But residents say Spain is on the right track to resolve its ...
- West African Mediators, Mali Militants Open Talks
DAKAR - President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso has begun negotiations with armed rebel and Islamist groups who seized control of northern Mali after the March 22 coup toppled the civilian government in Bamako. Compaore has been leading West African mediation efforts aimed at reuniting Mali and returning it to constitutional rule. Burkina Faso's foreign affairs minister, Djibrill Bassole, told reporters Thursday that President Compaore is engaged in talks with militant groups in ...
- Student Art Showcased Before Move Into Job Market
BALTIMORE, MD - The Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore recently graduated more than 400 young artists, awarding them a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Before graduation, the students displayed their final art projects in a campus-wide exhibit. In the days before graduation, Jessica Marx and Alexz Giacobbe are put the finishing touches on a project they’ve been working on for months. Jessica, a photography major, made the hats for their fashion line, Mama Said. Alexz, a fiber ...
- Syrian Protesters Rally in Northern Flashpoint City
Syrian forces are reported to have fired tear gas and live ammunition into crowds of protesters in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, in what opposition activists say is one of the biggest demonstrations since the anti-government uprising began 15-months-ago. Reports say at least two people have been wounded in the violence, although details are unclear. The protests come after Syrian security forces disrupted a student demonstration in Aleppo on Thursday. Video taken from a U.N. ...
- US Move to Suspend Burma Sanctions Draws Mixed Reaction
BANGKOK - The United States' suspension of some economic sanctions against Burma has sparked mixed reaction from analysts and rights groups. Some argue that sanctions should have been lifted long ago. But others point out that rights violations in Burma continue, and fear Washington may be moving too fast. The economic restrictions against Burma were originally put in place as punishment for the military government’s human rights abuses, which included a violent suppression of ...
- Korean Surveillance School Trains Citizen Snoops
SEOUL - Law-breakers in South Korea beware. Citizens trained to videotape illegal activity are on the loose and making extra income by selling the tapes to the police. Ji Soo-hyun leads a double life. Three-months ago, the housewife began a career catching lawbreakers red handed. Ji, 54, says her specialty is going undercover at private tutoring schools. I pretend that I am going to enroll my kids in the school. I ask the faculty about extra ...
- Snapshot Profiles of Egypt's Presidential Candidates
There are 13 candidates running for president in Egypt. The first round of voting is set for May 23-24. If none of the candidates wins more than 50 per cent of votes, a run-off will be held in June. These four men are considered by many analysts to be the front-runners: Amr Moussa , born 1936 Independent Secretary-General of the Arab League from 2001 to 2011 ...
- Facebook's Stock Debuts on Wall Street
After weeks of anticipation, it was finally time Friday for Facebook Inc.'s official debut on Wall Street. After jumping more than 10 percent in the first few minutes of trading, Facebook stock, selling under the FB symbol, closed less than one percent higher. Despite the lukewarm start, analysts say trading volumes were high. The IPO [initial public offering] was one of the biggest in history. The year's most hotly anticipated public offering kicked off at 11 a.m, ...
- Colleges Innovate to Fill Science Job Surplus
Active learning replaces traditional lectures
- Eritrea President Denies Stifling Free Speech
Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki has denied that his country stifles freedom of speech, just days after media rights group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) identified Eritrea as the most censored country in the world. Listen to VOA's interview with President Isaias In an interview with VOA's English to Africa service Thursday in the capital, Asmara, President Isaias said his government is not interested in keeping people from expressing their ...
- 2 NATO Troops Killed in Afghanistan Rocket Attack
NATO says a rocket attack in eastern Afghanistan has killed two of its service members. Local coalition officials say six other NATO troops were slightly wounded in Friday in the Nari district of Kunar province. So far this year, at least 154 coalition service members have been killed in Afghanistan. Officials say another insurgent rocket attack in the Watapoor district of Kunar killed two women and a child on Friday. At least six other civilians were wounded. The ...
- India's Currency Plunges to Record Low
NEW DELHI - India's currency has plunged to an all-time low versus the dollar, due to the Eurozone debt crisis and a slowdown in the Indian economy. The Indian government is scrambling to shore up its finances. Signaling that India's economy faces tough days, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee says the government will have to impose unpopular austerity measures. These could include restrictions on buying new cars and overseas travel for officials. The ...
- US Activists, Officials Seek to Protect Africa's Gay Refugees
As the world marked the International Day Against Homophobia Thursday, in Washington, U.S. activists and officials outlined efforts to protect an extremely vulnerable group - gay refugees in east Africa. Kenya is host to more than 600,000 refugees, while there are an estimated 135,000 refugees in Uganda. Both countries criminalize homosexuality. In Uganda, what are called unnatural offenses carry a risk of life in prison, with some lawmakers even advocating ...
- Japan Launches South Korean Satellite Into Orbit
SEOUL - Early Friday, Japan successfully launched a South Korean satellite. The historical accomplishment puts the Japanese in the same arena as European and Russian entities in the lucrative commercial space launch business. The roar of the H-2A launch vehicle shattered the early morning silence On the southern Japanese island of Tanegashima. The space center was illuminated as the liquid-fueled 57-meter high two-stage rocket rose off the pad with four satellites on board. ...
- Taiwan Government Information Office Closes its Doors
TAIPEI - Taiwan lifted martial law more than 20 years ago to form a democracy. But one of the signs of its authoritarian past will fade into history only this week. The Government Information Office will close after 40 years of media censorship followed by 25 years of media service. The Government Information Office, which was founded in China before the Nationalist Party fled to Taiwan, will formally disband on Sunday as President Ma Ying-jeou begins his second term in office. ...
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