Somalia’s government says this year’s independence celebration marks the start of a more peaceful time for the war-ravaged country. Top officials took part in a flag-raising ceremony at the presidential palace in Mogadishu early Friday, marking Somalia’s 51 years as an independent state. A spokesman for new Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali said this year’s […]
Somali Officials Hoists Flag, Hail Start of New Era
Posted July 1st, 2011 at 12:00 pm (UTC-5)
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Strauss-Kahn Released Without Bail
Posted July 1st, 2011 at 12:00 pm (UTC-5)
A New York judge has released former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn without bail or home confinement in the sexual assault case against him. The decision Friday comes after prosecutors raised questions about the credibility of the woman who accused Strauss-Kahn of assault. None of the charges were dropped, and prosecutors said they will […]
US Wildfire Not Likely to Hit Nuclear Lab
Posted July 1st, 2011 at 11:55 am (UTC-5)
Officials at the U.S. nuclear laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, say a raging wildfire threatening the town is not likely to reach the facility. Lab spokeswoman Lisa Rosendorf told VOA that at this point, the risk of the Las Conchas blaze going onto lab property is less than 10 percent. The lab and residents […]
Greece Bans Ships From Leaving Its Ports in Gaza Flotilla
Posted July 1st, 2011 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
Greece on Friday banned vessels from leaving its shores to join a planned flotilla aimed at breaking Israel’s sea blockade of the Gaza Strip. Organizers say they hope to sail to Gaza in coming days with at least nine boats loaded with humanitarian aid for the Palestinians. Israel vows to prevent the flotilla from reaching […]
Nigerian Workers Threaten to Strike
Posted July 1st, 2011 at 11:25 am (UTC-5)
Workers in some of Nigeria’s biggest unions are threatening to walk off the job unless the government implements a year-old agreement to raise their pay. Nigerian Labor Congress President Abdulwaheed Omar issued an ultimatum Friday saying public and private sector workers were prepared to launch a nationwide strike in two weeks. The NLC and the […]
US Stocks Rise
Posted July 1st, 2011 at 11:20 am (UTC-5)
U.S. stock market indexes rose in Friday’s morning trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced nine-tenths of one percent, the S&P 500 rose seven-tenths of a percent and the NASDAQ gained eight-tenths of a percent. European stock markets were higher in afternoon trading. London’s Financial Times 100 index and the CAC-40 in Paris moved up […]
Bus Hits Roadside Bomb, 13 Afghans Killed
Posted July 1st, 2011 at 11:10 am (UTC-5)
A roadside bomb has hit a bus in southwestern Afghanistan, killing at least 13 people. Police say the late Thursday attack in the Khash Rod district of Nimroz province was the work of the Taliban. At least 18 people were wounded in the roadside bombing. NATO joined Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Friday in condemning […]
Clinton Attacks Belarus Repression
Posted July 1st, 2011 at 11:00 am (UTC-5)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has condemned the repression of peaceful protests in Belarus. At a pro-democracy conference Friday in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, Clinton said that every democracy “should stand up and be counted” and needs to speak out when “countries like Belarus brutally repress” the rights of its citizens. Authoritarian Belarussian […]
Gadhafi’s Son Denies Ordering Libyan Troops to Kill Civilians
Posted July 1st, 2011 at 10:50 am (UTC-5)
The son of embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi says that neither he nor his father ordered the killing of civilian protesters during Libya’s ongoing pro-democracy rebellion against 42 years of autocratic rule. In an interview with the Russian news channel RT posted online Friday, Seif al-Islam Gadhafi defended the actions of Libya’s military, saying troops […]
Tens of Thousands Stage Opposing Rallies in Yemen’s Political Crisis
Posted July 1st, 2011 at 10:40 am (UTC-5)
Tens of thousands of Yemenis staged opposing rallies Friday for and against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is recovering from injuries suffered during an attack last month. Opponents of President Saleh packed areas of the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, while supporters publicly pledged their loyalty in separate demonstrations elsewhere in the city. Earlier this week, Yemen’s […]
