A member of Egypt’s ruling military council is reported to have said Wednesday that it will not allow international observers to monitor the country’s first post-revolutionary election. The Associated Press quotes General Mamdouh Shaheen as saying that barring foreign monitors is necessary to protect Egypt’s sovereignty, adding that “we have nothing to hide.” But an […]
Egypt Bars International Observers for Upcoming Vote
Posted July 20th, 2011 at 7:40 pm (UTC-5)
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Hurricane Dora Strengthens Off Mexico’s Pacific Coast
Posted July 20th, 2011 at 7:10 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. weather forecasters say Hurricane Dora has strengthened into a major hurricane off Mexico’s Pacific coast and could become even stronger before it starts to weaken. The National Hurricane Center in Miami Wednesday classified Dora as a Category 3 storm on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity. Forecasters say Dora currently has winds of […]
Japan Says Progress Being Made in Stablizing Nuclear Plant
Posted July 20th, 2011 at 7:10 pm (UTC-5)
Japanese government agencies and the owner of the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant say the plant is now stabilized, and that they are moving on to the next phase of bringing its reactors under control. The special state minister in charge of the four-month-old crisis, Goshi Hosono, said Wednesday in Tokyo that although progress has […]
US Commerce Secretary Calls for Sanctions on Iceland Over Whaling
Posted July 20th, 2011 at 7:05 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke is urging President Barack Obama to impose sanctions against Iceland, accusing the country of ignoring a global ban on whaling. Locke says in a letter to the president Wednesday that Iceland’s harvest of whales and export of endangered fin whale meat undermines worldwide efforts to protect the mammals. He calls […]
Obama Optimistic ‘Grand Bargain’ on Debt Can Be Done
Posted July 20th, 2011 at 6:05 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama says he is not giving up hope for what he calls a “grand bargain” to raise the country’s borrowing limit while also slashing the nation’s debt. White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Wednesday there is still time for Republicans and Democrats to reach an agreement, saying it “just requires a […]
US Senator Demands Russia Stop ‘Unfair’ Car Trade Practices
Posted July 20th, 2011 at 5:40 pm (UTC-5)
A U.S. senator representing the country’s leading car-building state has called on the top U.S. trade official to demand Russia stop what she calls unfair trade practices against American-made cars. Democrat Debbie Stabenow of Michigan wrote in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk Wednesday that Russia’s position must not be tolerated. She says […]
China Protests Philippine Lawmakers Visit to Disputed Island
Posted July 20th, 2011 at 5:40 pm (UTC-5)
China has made a “strong protest” about Wednesday’s visit by a group of Philippine lawmakers to a disputed territory in the South China Sea. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told reporters in Beijing Wednesday that the Philippine side seriously infringed on China’s territorial integrity. Beijing claims that it has indisputable sovereignty over the South […]
Guinea Arrests Dozens of Soldiers After Failed Assassination
Posted July 20th, 2011 at 5:40 pm (UTC-5)
Guinean authorities have arrested at least 37 soldiers in connection with a failed attempt to assassinate the recently-elected President Alpha Conde. A military source said Wednesday many of the detained soldiers have ties to Guinea’s previous military leaders. A top defense official, Abdoul Kabele Camara, told VOA the investigation was ongoing. Camara confirmed that Alpha […]
Bangladesh Indicts 430 People in Connection with 2009 Mutiny
Posted July 20th, 2011 at 5:30 pm (UTC-5)
A Bangladeshi court on Wednesday indicted 430 people in connection with a 2009 deadly mutiny among border guards. The suspects appeared before a special court set up in the capital, Dhaka, to try the mutineers. Metropolitan Sessions Judge Zahurul Haque read out charges against the accused, including murder, arson and looting. They pleaded not guilty. […]
Afghan Forces Take Security Control Despite Deadly Attacks
Posted July 20th, 2011 at 5:20 pm (UTC-5)
Insurgents launched deadly attacks in cities across Afghanistan Wednesday, as the coalition continued to transfer security control to Afghan forces. In the southern city of Kandahar, a gunbattle between local forces and insurgents killed three police officers, including the district chief, and two militants. Hours later, a suicide bomber on a bicycle blew himself up […]
