European Union-moderated negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo resume in Brussels on Friday, with the pressure on Belgrade to improve relations with Pristina in order to increase its chances of gaining EU candidacy this year. The talks follow an escalation of violence in the Serb-majority north of Kosovo last month. The previous round of negotiations broke […]
Serbia-Kosovo Talks Resume Friday in Brussels
Three US Solar Companies Go Bankrupt
Three U.S. solar energy companies have declared bankruptcy in the last month, the latest a firm called Solyndra that President Barack Obama praised as a “testament to American ingenuity and dynamism.” The financial failure of the three American companies has left China as the world’s dominant solar industry manufacturer, with nearly 60 percent of the […]
US Drought Aid for Horn of Africa Tops $600 Million
The United States says it will provide an additional $23 million to combat the drought in the Horn of Africa, including $10 million specifically for Somalia. The U.S. Agency for International Development announced the aid Thursday. It said U.S. drought and famine assistance now totals more than $600 million, the largest total given by any […]
Nations Pledge Billions in Support for Libyan Transition at Paris Conference
World powers have pledged to free billions of dollars in frozen assets to help Libya’s provisional authority run and rebuild the battle-ravaged nation. Libya’s provisional authority and representatives from 60 countries met Thursday night at a Paris conference focusing on a Libya without ex-leader on the run, Moammar Gadhafi. The United States, the Netherlands and […]
Obama Approval Hits New Lows on Economy
U.S. President Barack Obama’s approval ratings have hit new lows. A Quinnipiac poll released Thursday puts President Obama’s overall job disapproval rating at a record 52 percent, with 42 percent in favor of his performance. Congressional leaders fare even worse in the ratings. Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of Americans surveyed for a CNN/ORC poll say they […]
Fighting in Southern Yemen Kills 15 Militants, 3 Soldiers
Yemeni authorities say fighting between Yemeni troops and al-Qaida-linked militants in the country’s south killed at least 18 people Wednesday and Thursday. Western news agencies quote Yemeni security officials, medics and a source close to the insurgents as saying the dead include at least 15 militants and three government soldiers. They say the battles happened […]
DRC Police Fire Tear Gas At Opposition Protest
Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo fired tear gas Thursday to break up demonstrators protesting alleged fraud in the voter rolls. Hundreds of opposition supporters marched in the capital, Kinshasa to demand an audit of the election register. They tried to reach the headquarters of Congo’s National Election Commission but were dispersed by police. […]
WikiLeaks Blames Newspaper for Uncensored Cable Leak
The anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks has confirmed reports of a security breach that has led to a massive amount of U.S. diplomatic cables being released onto the Internet with the names of sources revealed. In a statement posted Thursday, WikiLeaks blamed Britain’s Guardian newspaper for the disclosure, saying that a journalist revealed the password to unlock […]
Cambodian Tribunal Challenges VOA News Report
Cambodia’s U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal says it has begun contempt proceedings against VOA’s Khmer service for disclosing confidential documents about the prosecution of Khmer Rouge defendants with suspected links to genocide in the 1970s. The tribunal’s move drew an immediate statement of concern Thursday from VOA administrators, who said the probe is unwarranted and could […]
Turkish Police, Kurds Clash in Istanbul
Turkish police in Istanbul clashed with scores of stone-throwing Kurdish protesters Thursday, after a peace rally organized by the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party turned violent. Police warned the mainly youthful protestors about carrying banners supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party . Some of the demonstrators, many wearing scarves to cover their faces, protested when […]