U.S. President Barack Obama says he will have an announcement soon on long-delayed free trade deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. The president told reporters Monday the announcement would come “in the next day or so.” The three deals — negotiated by Mr. Obama’s Republican predecessor, President George W. Bush — could potentially boost […]
White House Nears Submission of Trade Legislation to Congress
Posted October 3rd, 2011 at 1:35 pm (UTC-5)
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Karzai to Convene Assembly to Discuss Afghan Peace Process
Posted October 3rd, 2011 at 1:30 pm (UTC-5)
Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he will convene an assembly of tribal elders to determine a way forward in the peace process after the killing of the country’s top peace envoy. Former President Burhanuddin Rabbani, the head of the High Peace Council, was killed in a suicide bombing at his Kabul home on September 20. […]
Tibetan Monk Self-Immolates in Anti-China Protest
Posted October 3rd, 2011 at 1:00 pm (UTC-5)
A Tibetan Buddhist monk has set himself on fire in western China, making him the fifth monk to attempt self-immolation this year. The Tibetan exile network, known as Free Tibet, reported the monk aged 17 or 18, is from the Kirti monastery in western Sichuan near the Tibetan border. It said the monk was holding […]
Sources: Kidnapped French Woman Taken to al-Shabab Part of Somalia
Posted October 3rd, 2011 at 12:50 pm (UTC-5)
Sources in Somalia say a French woman kidnapped from Kenya on Saturday has been taken to a Somali region controlled by al-Shabab militants. Elders in the Somali town of Kismayo told VOA Monday that Marie Dedieu is being held in a coastal area of the Lower Jubba region, of which Kismayo is the capital. A […]
Bahrain Sentences 14 to Life in Prison
Posted October 3rd, 2011 at 12:30 pm (UTC-5)
A Bahraini security court has sentenced 14 people to life in prison in the killing of a Pakistani man during unrest related to pro-reform protests earlier this year. It was one of three lengthy sentences handed down in Bahrain Monday, as the island kingdom deals with participants in the protests that were led by the […]
Obama Calls for October Passage of Jobs Legislation
Posted October 3rd, 2011 at 12:25 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama is calling on Congress to pass his job-creation legislation by the end of this month. President Obama said Monday that governmental agencies are trying to see what they can do administratively to boost job growth. But he said that ultimately congressional action is needed on his $447 billion proposal. Speaking at […]
Dalai Lama Awaits Word on South Africa Visa
Posted October 3rd, 2011 at 12:15 pm (UTC-5)
The Dalai Lama is awaiting word on whether South Africa will allow him to attend a birthday celebration for fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu. The Tibetan spiritual leader requested a South African visa five months ago so he could attend Tutu’s 80th birthday celebrations, which begin this Thursday. As of Monday evening South […]
Knox Closes Murder Conviction Appeal With Tearful Plea For Freedom
Posted October 3rd, 2011 at 12:15 pm (UTC-5)
American student Amanda Knox made a final tearful plea for freedom in a Perugia courtroom Monday, as the Italian jury retired to consider its verdict in her appeal against her murder conviction. Knox fought back tears as she denied taking part in the crime that left her roommate, Meredith Kercher, half-naked and dead in a […]
Aid Groups: Afghan Women’s Rights Under Threat
Posted October 3rd, 2011 at 12:10 pm (UTC-5)
Two leading international aid agencies say women’s rights in Afghanistan are under threat as international troops prepare to leave the war-torn country. In separate reports released Monday, British-based Oxfam and ActionAid noted improvements in Afghan women’s rights since 2001 U.S.-led invasion, but said such gains were fragile and reversible. Under Taliban rule in the 1990s, […]
World Markets Roiled by New Greek Default Fears
Posted October 3rd, 2011 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
Asian and European stock markets fell sharply Monday because of new fears that Greece might soon default on its bailout loans from last year. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng exchange dropped more than 4 percent, and the London, Paris and Frankfurt markets all plunged. U.S. markets were also down, but not by as much. Investors moved […]
