Muslims around the world are observing Ramadan, the holiest month on the Islamic calendar. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The start of the holiday is determined by the appearance of the new moon. Ramadan marks the time more than 1,400 years ago when Muslims believe the words of the Quran […]
Syrian Raid on Hama Kills 45
Posted July 31st, 2011 at 1:00 pm (UTC-5)
Syrian activists say soldiers backed by tanks have fired on citizens during a raid in the flashpoint city of Hama, killing at least 45 people. Activists say the sound of machine guns and tank shells echoed across the city Sunday. Medical officials say hospitals are overrun with scores of wounded people and are in desperate […]
One Dead as Trains Collide in India
Posted July 31st, 2011 at 1:00 pm (UTC-5)
Two passenger trains collided head-on Sunday in the east of India, killing at least one person. The number of injured is unclear, and more casualties are feared. The accident occurred in West Bengal province. The engine of the Guwahati-Bangalore express derailed as it collided with a local train. The two engines then caught fire. After […]
Ukraine Mourns 37 Miners Killed in Friday’s Twin Disasters
Posted July 31st, 2011 at 12:50 pm (UTC-5)
Ukraine is observing a day of mourning on Sunday for 37 miners killed in accidents at two coal pits in the country’s industrial east. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich ordered state flags to be lowered to half mast, while relatives held the first funerals for the victims of Friday’s twin disasters, the country’s deadliest since 2007. […]
Witnesses: Somali Lawmaker Killed in Mogadishu
Posted July 31st, 2011 at 12:50 pm (UTC-5)
Witnesses say a member of Somalia’s parliament has been shot and killed in the capital, Mogadishu. Khalif Jire Warfaa was killed Sunday in Mogadishu’s Hamar Weyne district. Another member of parliament, who witnessed the shooting, tells VOA that two gunmen wearing masks opened fire on Warfaa as he came out of the Marwaas mosque. The […]
12 Police, Child Killed in Southern Afghanistan Suicide Blast
Posted July 31st, 2011 at 11:50 am (UTC-5)
A suicide car bombing in southern Afghanistan’s volatile Helmand province has killed 12 police officers and a child, the first such major attack in an area where Afghan forces recently took over full security responsibility from NATO-led troops. A government spokesman in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, said Sunday’s blast occurred outside the city’s heavily […]
Israeli PM Offers Talks on Economy; Finance Official Resigns
Posted July 31st, 2011 at 11:40 am (UTC-5)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is offering steps to deal with the economic situation in Israel, one day after the largest turnout for protests demanding the government do something about the rising cost of living. Mr. Netanyahu on Sunday said he was setting up a committee to open talks with protesters. He told his Cabinet […]
Serbian Parliament Calls for Dialogue, Compromise With Kosovo
Posted July 31st, 2011 at 11:20 am (UTC-5)
The Serbian parliament has passed a resolution calling for more dialogue with Kosovo to reach a compromise in a trade dispute that escalated into deadly violence last week. Serbian lawmakers approved the resolution early Sunday, with a majority of 181 votes in the 250-member assembly. The violence erupted late Monday last week, when special forces […]
All Aboard Survive Caribbean Airlines Plane Crash
Posted July 31st, 2011 at 11:00 am (UTC-5)
All 163 people aboard a Caribbean Airlines jetliner survived when the plane skidded off a wet runway in Georgetown, Guyana, and split in two. The Boeing 737 was on a flight from New York to the South American nation early Saturday when it overshot the runway and came dangerously close to a 60-meter deep ravine. […]
Iran Will Announce US Hikers Verdict By Next Week: Lawyer
Posted July 31st, 2011 at 10:40 am (UTC-5)
The lawyer for the American hikers jailed in Iran on spying charges says the court will announce its verdict by next week. Attorney Masoud Shafiei made the announcement after Iran held its final court hearing on the case Sunday, exactly two years since Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested on charges that […]
