A South Sudan rebel group has declared a cease-fire with the government of the newly independent nation. A spokesman for the rebels, Bol Gatkouth, said the group was accepting a recent offer of amnesty extended by South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and will open talks with the government. The group, led by renegade general Peter […]
South Sudan Rebel Group Declares Ceasefire
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 12:40 pm (UTC-5)
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Worried Wall Street Extends Slump
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 12:40 pm (UTC-5)
The major U.S. stock indexes kept sliding in Wednesday’s midday trading, after a series of reports showed factories stalling and layoffs on the rise. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped nine-tenths of a percent, on pace for its longest losing streak in more than 30 years. The S&P 500 index dipped eight-tenths of a percent. […]
Famine Declared in 3 New Parts of Somalia
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 12:20 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations has declared a famine in three new areas of Somalia. A statement Wednesday said famine conditions are present in two districts of the Middle Shabelle region , the Afgoye corridor displaced person settlement, and the Mogadishu displaced persons community. The statement was issued through the U.N. and U.S-funded Famine Early Warning Systems […]
US Woman Claims Uncle Hijacked Plane in Long-Unsolved Mystery
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 12:10 pm (UTC-5)
A woman in the United States is claiming that her uncle carried out the brazen hijacking of an airplane 40 years ago and escaped with $200,000 in the only unsolved skyjacking in American history. Marla Cooper told the ABC News television network that she is convinced the 1971 hijacking was carried out by her uncle, […]
Somali Official: al-Shabab Gets Weapons from Yemen
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 11:55 am (UTC-5)
A Somali official says the insurgent group al-Shabab has received weapons from allies in Yemen. The Somali consul in Yemen, Hussein Haji Ahmed, tells VOA that the Yemeni wing of al-Qaida recently sent 10 ships full of weapons to Somalia. The consul said two of the ships were intercepted by Yemeni government forces, but that […]
Sydney Police Free Teenager Trapped with Suspected Bomb
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
Australian police say they have freed a teenager trapped inside an upscale Sydney home for nearly 10 hours with an apparent bomb strapped to her body. A police spokesman, commenting immediately after the young woman was rescued by a bomb squad, said authorities did not yet know whether the device was explosive. The victim was […]
Obama: “Tremendous Progress” in U.S.-Russia Relationship
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 11:25 am (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama has told Russian media that the new nuclear disarmament treaty between Russia and the United States is an example of “tremendous progress” made in bilateral ties. Mr. Obama spoke with Russian reporters ahead of his 50th birthday which is Thursday. The president noted that when he was born during the Cold […]
Russia Expresses Concern About Extremist Websites
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 11:15 am (UTC-5)
Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev says there are about 7,500 extremist websites operating in Russia. Nurgaliyev expressed his concerns Wednesday to a meeting of an interdepartmental commission on fighting extremism in the city of Khabarovsk. He said a set of measures should be developed to restrict the activities of such Internet sites. The interior minister […]
Pakistan Boosts Security in Violence-Plagued Karachi
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 11:05 am (UTC-5)
Pakistan has deployed extra police and paramilitary troops in the southern port city of Karachi in an effort to end a wave of violence that killed at least 36 people this week. Authorities Wednesday said police had detained some suspects in raids in the city’s “troubled” areas. They said many districts remained calm as security […]
UN Rights Investigator Appeals for Iranian Access
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 10:55 am (UTC-5)
A newly appointed U.N. special investigator has renewed calls for Iran to cooperate in a probe of alleged human rights abuses. Special rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed appealed to Tehran on Wednesday to allow him to visit the country. In a statement, he said he hopes Iran views his U.N. mandate as legitimate and takes steps to […]
