The U.N. Security Council may vote later Tuesday on a draft resolution condemning Syria’s brutal crackdown on anti-government activists. The European-drafted proposal threatens “targeted measures” against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government if it does not stop its deadly assault on pro-democracy demonstrators who have been calling for his departure. The U.N. says at least 2,700 […]
UN To Consider Resolution Condemning Syrian Violence
Insurgents Kill 60 in Somali Capital Blast
Somali militant group al-Shabab has set off a truck bomb in the country’s capital, Mogadishu, killing at least 60 people. Witnesses say two suicide bombers drove the truck into a compound housing several government ministries, where it exploded Tuesday afternoon. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the bombing on its website. A local journalist told VOA that […]
Regional Tensions Frame Karzai’s India Visit
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is in India for a two-day visit that is expected to strengthen the two countries’ economic and security ties. Mr. Karzai and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are scheduled to meet in New Delhi later Tuesday. In addition to economic deals, the two leaders are expected to sign an agreement that […]
Poland’s Civic Platform Party Leads in Pre-Election Polls
An opinion poll out just days ahead of Poland’s parliamentary elections Sunday shows that the ruling pro-market party holds a comfortable lead over the opposition. In a poll published by the Gazeta Wyborcza daily on Tuesday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Platform Party received 31-percent support, while the opposition center-right Law and Justice party has […]
China Mine Blast Kills 13
China says at least 13 workers have been killed and another five people are missing, after an apparent gas explosion Tuesday in a coal mine in the southwestern province of Guizhou. The official Xinhua news agency says another 13 miners managed to escape, and that an investigation is under way. China’s mines are among the […]
Polish Soldier Killed in Afghanistan
A roadside bomb has killed a Polish soldier who was on patrol in Afghanistan. Poland’s defense ministry says the 30-year-old serviceman was killed Tuesday when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Ghazni province. Two other Polish soldiers were wounded in the blast. Tuesday’s death brings the number of Polish troops killed in Afghanistan […]
Russia’s Putin Proposes New Eurasian Union
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has outlined a proposal to set up a so-called “Eurasian Union” of former Soviet states that would build on an existing Customs Union with Belarus and Kazakhstan. Mr. Putin, who is expected to become Russia’s next president when elections are held in March, outlined his first foreign policy initiative in […]
European Stocks Lower in Midday Trading
European stock prices are lower in midday trading Tuesday. Both London’s Financial Times index and the CAC-40 in Paris are down 2.7 percent, while the DAX index in Frankfurt is down nearly three and a half percent. In New York, the S&P futures contract is down more than seven points, indicating a lower opening. Tokyo’s […]
Shelling Kills 2 in Yemeni Capital
Witnesses and medical officials in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, say shelling in the city has killed two civilians. The witnesses said the mortar fire Tuesday wounded at least one other person when the shells fell on a market. It was not clear who fired the mortars. Government troops have been fighting followers of tribal leader […]
Truck Bomb Kills Dozens in Somali Capital
A truck bomb has exploded at a government compound in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, killing dozens of people. Ali Muse, the head of Mogadishu’s ambulance service, says the blast Tuesday killed more than 60 and injured more than 40 others. Witnesses told VOA that two suicide bombers drove the truck into the compound, which houses […]