Showing Archived Posts

Libya Declares Liberation From 42-Year Gadhafi Rule

Posted October 24th, 2011 at 5:05 am (UTC-5)
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Libya’s provisional authority has declared the country liberated, while concerns linger about the circumstances surrounding the death of former leader Moammar Gadhafi. National Transitional Council leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil told tens of thousands of people in the eastern city of Benghazi Sunday that Islamic law will shape the new constitution in post-Gadhafi Libya. He promised […]

Tags: Posted in Middle East

Bulgarian Presidential Runoff Set for Next Week

Posted October 24th, 2011 at 5:05 am (UTC-5)
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Exit polls in Bulgaria show ruling party candidate Rosen Plevneliev the likely winner of Sunday’s presidential election, but without enough votes to avoid a runoff. The polls give Plevneliev about 40 percent of the vote, while his closest challenger, Socialist candidate Ivailo Kalfin, has about 30 percent. If officials uphold the results, the two will […]

Tags: , Posted in Europe

Panetta Heads to Japan After ASEAN Defense Parley

Posted October 24th, 2011 at 5:00 am (UTC-5)
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U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived Monday in Japan after telling his Asian counterparts that coming budget cuts will not lead the United States to reduce its presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Panetta flew Monday from the Indonesian resort island of Bali, where he had attended a meeting of Southeast Asian defense ministers. Before leaving […]

Tags: , , , , Posted in East Asia Pacific

OSCE Condemns Belarus’ Freedom of Assembly Restrictions

Posted October 24th, 2011 at 4:50 am (UTC-5)
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The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has condemned new measures in Belarus restricting the right to assemble. The measures were adopted by Belarus’ lower house of Parliament in early October, but just adopted Friday by the upper parliamentary chamber. OSCE Chairperson Audronius Azubalis, who is Lithuania’s foreign minister, called Monday on Belarus President […]

Tags: , Posted in Europe

Burmese Minister: Japan to Review Suspended Development Projects

Posted October 24th, 2011 at 4:45 am (UTC-5)
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Burma’s foreign minister says Japan has agreed to send experts to Burma to determine the feasibility of re-starting a number of suspended development projects. Wunna Maung Lwin told VOA’s Burmese service that the countries have also agreed to reciprocal visits by government officials and politicians. The foreign minister was interviewed in Bangkok on his way […]

Tags: , Posted in East Asia Pacific

Asian Stock Markets Higher

Posted October 24th, 2011 at 4:30 am (UTC-5)
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Asian stock markets were higher in trading Monday. Tokyo’s Nikkei index rose 1.9 percent to close at 8,844. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index jumped 4.13 percent to end at 18,771. Elsewhere, share prices were higher in Shanghai, Sydney, Taipei and Manila. Wellington markets were closed for a national holiday . The dollar was selling at […]

Tags: , , Posted in East Asia Pacific

Queen Elizabeth Praises Australia’s Flood Victims

Posted October 24th, 2011 at 4:30 am (UTC-5)
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Britain’s Queen Elizabeth praised Brisbane residents for their courage Monday during a visit to the Australian city that was hit by devastating floods in January. The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, took a yacht cruise along the Brisbane River with Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh, who pointed out areas that were submerged during the […]

India Close to Wiping Out Polio

Posted October 24th, 2011 at 4:15 am (UTC-5)
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Monday marks World Polio Day, a day to spotlight the importance of global eradication of polio. Health officials in India announced Monday there has been no detection of polio in the country for nine months, India’s longest polio-free period since eradication efforts began. Indian health officials say the last new case was reported in January […]

Tags: , Posted in South Asia

Rescuers Search for Survivors After Quake Kills 217 in Turkey

Posted October 24th, 2011 at 3:45 am (UTC-5)
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Rescue workers in southeastern Turkey were digging through rubble Monday, trying to find survivors after an earthquake that killed at least 217 people and wounded more than 1,000 others. The search involves hundreds of teams of rescuers from across the country searching the remains of dozens of buildings flattened by Sunday’s magnitude 7.2 quake. The […]

Tags: , Posted in Europe

Vietnam Seizes Illegal Elephant Tusks

Posted October 24th, 2011 at 3:35 am (UTC-5)
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Vietnamese customs officials said Monday they seized at least a ton of elephant tusks that smugglers were attempting to take into China. Authorities said about 221 pieces of ivory were discovered over the weekend hidden on a boat on the Ka Long River, bordering the two countries. Officials say at least two men were detained […]