Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf she felt “humbled” by her Nobel Peace Prize recognition, but welcomed the honor as recopgnition of a long struggle to achieve peace in her West African nation. She spoke to VOA’s James Butty Friday in Monrovia: “I’m very excited. I’m very thankful. And I’m also humbled to have this award. […]
UN Panel Meets on Palestinian Membership Bid
Posted October 7th, 2011 at 10:35 am (UTC-5)
A United Nations Security Council committee is meeting on Friday to consider a Palestinian bid for U.N. membership. The Security Council referred the request to the special committee last week. The Palestinians hope the U.N. process will gain them statehood. But the move is opposed by the Obama Administration and Israel. The United States has […]
Liberia’s ‘Iron Lady’ Snares Peace Prize, Sparks Controversy
Posted October 7th, 2011 at 10:05 am (UTC-5)
The choice of Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as one of three Nobel Peace Prize winners this year is already sparking controversy. Mrs. Sirleaf tells VOA she is humbled by the award and called it an achievement for the Liberian people. But skeptics are questioning whether the Norwegian-based Nobel Committee is interfering with Liberia’s domestic […]
10th Anniversary of Afghan War Passes Quietly
Posted October 7th, 2011 at 10:05 am (UTC-5)
Friday marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan that ousted the Taliban-led government and led to the longest U.S. war, costing thousands of lives and billions of dollars. The assault was launched less than a month after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, with the aim of hunting […]
US Economy Gains 103,000 Jobs
Posted October 7th, 2011 at 9:50 am (UTC-5)
The U.S. economy had a net gain of 103,000 jobs in September, but that was not enough to cut the unemployment rate from 9.1 percent. Friday’s report from the Labor Department said the job gains came largely in the private sector, particularly in health care. The monthly job gains were stronger than most economists had […]
US Undecided on Second Nuclear Meeting With North Korea
Posted October 7th, 2011 at 9:30 am (UTC-5)
The United States says it has not decided whether to hold a second bilateral meeting with North Korea to discuss the long-stalled stalled talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program. The top U.S. official on East Asian affairs, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, said President Barack Obama and his South Korean counterpart, Lee Myung-bak, will […]
Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Trio of Liberian, Yemeni Women
Posted October 7th, 2011 at 9:30 am (UTC-5)
The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee and Yemeni women’s rights advocate Tawakkul Karman. The Norwegian Nobel Committee made the announcement Friday in Oslo, saying the three women will split the coveted award for “their nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and […]
US Economy Gains 103,000 Jobs
Posted October 7th, 2011 at 8:45 am (UTC-5)
The U.S. economy had a net gain of 103,000 jobs in September, but the unemployment rate stayed steady at a relatively high 9.1 percent. Friday’s report from the Labor Department says the gains came largely from new jobs in the private sector. The monthly job gains were stronger than most economists had predicted and include […]
Troops Kill 7 Protesters in Syria
Posted October 7th, 2011 at 8:40 am (UTC-5)
Activists say Syrian security forces have opened fire on anti-government protesters, killing at least seven people. The deaths took place on Friday, as thousands of demonstrators poured onto streets across the country with renewed calls for President Bashar al-Assad’s departure. Meanwhile, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad blamed much of his country’s deadly unrest on […]
A Look at Yemeni Woman Who Shares Nobel Peace Prize
Posted October 7th, 2011 at 8:10 am (UTC-5)
Tawakkul Karman of Yemen, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize announced Friday, is the first Arab woman to win the award. A mother of three from the flashpoint city of Taiz, she has been a key figure in anti-government protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The 32-year-old Karman is the leader of the Women Journalists […]
