President Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994. He was proclaimed the winner in the December presidential vote, which observers said failed to meet international standards. Belarus authorities arrested hundreds of protesters, journalists and opposition leaders during the mass post-election demonstration December 19. The EU’s Eastern Partnership meeting opens Thursday in Warsaw […]
EU Vows Support for Belarus Opposition, Presses for Democratic Change
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 12:10 pm (UTC-5)
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Burundi President: Gatumba Massacre Suspects Arrested
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 12:05 pm (UTC-5)
Burundi’s president says his government has arrested several suspects in the massacre of 36 people at a Gatumba pub, after he had vowed the case would be solved within a month. In an exclusive interview with VOA in Washington on Wednesday, President Pierre Nkurunziza said a team of judges is continuing to investigate the September […]
Japanese Company to Plead Guilty in US Price-Fixing Case
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 11:50 am (UTC-5)
A Japanese auto parts supplier and three of its executives have agreed to plead guilty to U.S. allegations that they engaged in a price-fixing and bid-rigging conspiracy. The U.S. Justice Department said Thursday that Tokyo-based Furukawa Electric would pay a $200 million fine for its role in the scheme. The agency said the company conspired […]
Libyan Forces Clash in Sirte, US Lawmakers Visit NTC
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 11:12 am (UTC-5)
Intense fighting is under way between Libya’s provisional government fighters and former leader Moammar Gadhafi’s holdouts for control of Mr. Gadhafi’s hometown of Sirte. National Transitional Council fighters say they have gained control of the airport in Sirte. However, clashes between the two sides continue in other parts of the city on Thursday. Meanwhile, Libya’s […]
China’s Hainan Island Hit by Typhoon
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 11:10 am (UTC-5)
Residents of the southern Chinese island of Hainan are trying to recover from Typhoon Nesat, which struck the area Thursday after pounding Hong Kong with heavy winds and rains earlier in the day. Nesat hit Wenchang city with sustained winds of up to 150 kilometers an hour — making it the strongest typhoon to hit […]
Lawyer Hopes Iranian Christian Sentenced to Death Will be Freed
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 10:56 am (UTC-5)
The lawyer for an Iranian Christian pastor, sentenced to death for renouncing the Muslim religion, says he hopes an appeals court will set his client free. Attorney Mohammad Ali Dadkhah said Thursday he thinks there is a “95 percent chance” of acquittal for Youcef Nadarkhani, who appeared in court this week. The 32-year-old converted to […]
Venezuelan Commuter Trains Collide
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 10:40 am (UTC-5)
Two Venezuelan commuter trains collided in a tunnel outside of Caracas on Thursday, and the transportation minister says about 30 people were injured. Transportation Minister Francisco Garces told state television that most of the injuries appeared to be minor, although the engineer of one of the trains had more serious injuries. The trains collided in […]
US, European Stocks Advance on Thursday
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 10:21 am (UTC-5)
U.S. and European stocks moved higher Thursday after a U.S. report showed that its economy expanded more than first estimated in the second quarter this year and jobless benefit claims declined last week. In early trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average of 30 key stocks is up 2.1 percent, while the broader S&P 500 index […]
US Economy Grew Slightly Faster in Second Quarter
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 10:00 am (UTC-5)
The U.S. government says the country’s sluggish economy grew a bit faster than first estimated in the second quarter of the year, but still not fast enough to reduce the country’s high unemployment rate. The government said Thursday that the nation’s economic output advanced 1.3 percent in the April-to-June period, up from the previous estimate […]
US Economy Grew Slightly Faster in Second Quarter
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 10:00 am (UTC-5)
The U.S. government says the country’s sluggish economy grew a bit faster than first estimated in the second quarter of the year, but still not fast enough to reduce the country’s high unemployment rate. The government said Thursday that the nation’s economic output advanced 1.3 percent in the April-to-June period, up from the previous estimate […]
