British-Australian marathon swimmer Penny Palfrey has set out on a record attempt to become the first person to swim from Cuba to the U.S. state of Florida without a shark cage. The 49-year-old mother of three and grandmother of two dove into the sea off the Cuban capital, Havana, Friday morning. Before beginning the 166-kilometer […]
British-Australian Woman Attempts Record Cuba-US Swim
Posted June 29th, 2012 at 1:40 pm (UTC-5)
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EU Leaders Agree on Debt Plan to Help Italy, Spain
Posted June 29th, 2012 at 1:35 pm (UTC-5)
European leaders have agreed to use the euro currency bloc’s bailout fund to directly boost the continent’s struggling banks — a move that immediately eased surging borrowing costs for debt-ridden Italy and Spain. Stock markets in Asia, Europe and the U.S. jumped sharply Friday after European Union summit leaders decided that they could send loans […]
India Says Pakistan Involved in 2008 Mumbai Attacks
Posted June 29th, 2012 at 1:30 pm (UTC-5)
India has again said that the 2008 Mumbai attacks could not have been carried out without “state support,” accusing longtime rival Pakistan of helping to coordinate the siege on India’s financial hub. Indian authorities arrested Indian-born Sayed Zabiuddin, who goes by Abu Hamza and Abu Jindal, on June 21 on suspicion of helping plan the […]
Militants Storm Eastern Afghan District, Killing 10
Posted June 29th, 2012 at 1:20 pm (UTC-5)
Officials in eastern Afghanistan say militants, including suicide bombers, stormed a remote district early Friday, sparking a gunbattle that killed 10 people. The Taliban took responsibility for the attack in the Kamdesh district of Nuristan province. The provincial governor’s spokesman Muhammad Zarin told VOA that at least 17 militants crossed the border from Pakistan and […]
Sudanese Police Use Tear Gas To Break Up Protest
Posted June 29th, 2012 at 12:35 pm (UTC-5)
Police in Sudan used tear gas Friday to break up the latest protests against austerity measures and the government of President Omar al-Bashir. Witnesses say the rallies — of anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred people — took place in the capital Khartoum and the suburbs of Omdurman and Bahri. The tear […]
Burma’s Government Insists on ‘Myanmar’
Posted June 29th, 2012 at 11:50 am (UTC-5)
The nominally civilian Burmese government is demanding that democracy icon and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi stop referring to the Southeast Asian nation as “Burma” – the colonial name still used by dissidents and many foreign governments. In a terse statement Friday published by state-controlled media, the Union Election Commission called on the Nobel […]
Militants Storm Eastern Afghan District
Posted June 29th, 2012 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
Officials in eastern Afghanistan say militants, including suicide bombers, stormed a remote district early Friday sparking a gunbattle that killed 10 people. The attack took place in the Kamdesh district of Nuristan province. Provincial officials say at least 17 militants attacked a compound that housed government offices and residences. The dead included four civilians and […]
US Ambassador to Kenya Resigns
Posted June 29th, 2012 at 11:00 am (UTC-5)
The U.S. ambassador to Kenya has unexpectedly resigned, citing tension with superiors in Washington. Scott Gration released a statement Friday announcing he had submitted his resignation to the Obama administration, to be effective July 28th. In the statement, Gration said his decision stemmed from “differences with Washington regarding my leadership style and certain priorities.” He […]
Top US Diplomat to Pressure Russia on Syrian Crisis
Posted June 29th, 2012 at 11:00 am (UTC-5)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton holds talks with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov Friday, ahead of an international conference on the Syrian crisis. Clinton and Lavrov were to meet in St. Petersburg in an effort to resolve differences over a transition plan for Syria. World and regional powers plan to gather in Geneva for […]
EU Leaders Agree on Debt Plan to Help Italy, Spain
Posted June 29th, 2012 at 10:25 am (UTC-5)
European leaders have agreed to use the euro currency bloc’s bailout fund to directly boost the continent’s struggling banks — a move that immediately eased surging borrowing costs for debt-ridden Italy and Spain. Stock markets in Asia, Europe and the U.S. jumped sharply Friday after European Union summit leaders decided that they could send loans […]
