NATO has said three of its service members died in a bomb blast in eastern Afghanistan Saturday. The nationalities of the victims were not immediately released. Also Saturday, NATO said a combined Afghan-coalition security force discovered a building laden with unstable explosives in eastern Ghazni province. A NATO statement said the building, located in the […]
Russians Begin Voting in Parliamentary Elections
Posted December 3rd, 2011 at 6:40 pm (UTC-5)
Voters in Russia’s far east have begun casting ballots in parliamentary elections that are expected to favor Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party. The voting Sunday comes amid claims of campaign fraud and unprecedented intimidation of observers. Members of Russia’s only independent election monitoring group say their leader was detained for 12 hours Saturday […]
Crocker: Pakistan’s Absence from Afghan Conference Would be ‘Unfortunate’
Posted December 3rd, 2011 at 6:10 pm (UTC-5)
The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker, says Pakistan’s absence from the upcoming international conference on Afghanistan would be “unfortunate,” but will not derail Afghan progress or change the outcome of the gathering. In an interview with VOA Saturday, Crocker said it will be Pakistan’s loss if it boycotts the talks on Afghanistan’s future, scheduled […]
Arab League Confirms Sanctions on Syria as Unrest Intensifies
Posted December 3rd, 2011 at 5:25 pm (UTC-5)
The Arab League on Saturday froze assets of 19 top Syrian officials and banned them from traveling to Arab states. After a meeting in Doha, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani who chairs the Arab League’s peace process committee, said the panel also gave Damascus until Sunday to come to Doha and sign […]
Cain Suspends Bid for US Presidency
Posted December 3rd, 2011 at 3:25 pm (UTC-5)
Businessman Herman Cain has suspended his campaign for the Republican U.S. presidential nomination following allegations of sexual harassment and infidelity. Cain made the announcement at an event Saturday in his home state of Georgia. He called the accusations against him “false” and “unproved” and told supporters they have hurt his wife and family and “distracted” […]
Congo Opposition Rejects Partial Vote Results
Posted December 3rd, 2011 at 3:10 pm (UTC-5)
The main opposition party in the Democratic Republic of Congo says it rejects early election results that give incumbent President Joseph Kabila some 50 percent of the vote. The Union for Democracy and Social Progress party said Saturday that it rejects the partial election results. It accused election officials of trying to mislead the public […]
Cain Suspends Bid for US Presidency
Posted December 3rd, 2011 at 2:55 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain has suspended his campaign following allegations of sexual harassment and infidelity. Cain announced the suspension of his presidential bid at an event Saturday in his home state of Georgia. Saturday’s event was originally scheduled to mark the opening of the former pizza executive’s new campaign headquarters. Cain shot to […]
Italy’s PM Sells Austerity Measures to Politicians
Posted December 3rd, 2011 at 1:30 pm (UTC-5)
Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti met with party leaders Saturday to build support for his proposed austerity measures as European leaders work to confront the continent’s debt crisis. The government has not officially released details of the measures, but they are believed to include a mix of cuts and tax rises and an increase to […]
Congo Vote Disputed
Posted December 3rd, 2011 at 12:40 pm (UTC-5)
A chaotic vote count continues in the Democratic Republic of Congo Saturday, as arguments fly over whether the vote and its tally are free and fair. Congo’s Independent National Election Commission told VOA Friday that President Joseph Kabila has taken an early lead over his main challenger, Etienne Tshisekedi. But Tshisekedi’s party, the Union for […]
Syria Denounces UN Resolution; Death Toll Rises
Posted December 3rd, 2011 at 11:50 am (UTC-5)
Activists say at least 23 people have been killed in anti-government unrest in Syria, where the government is dismissing a new U.N. resolution condemning it for human rights violations. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says most of Saturday’s deaths occurred in the Idlib region near the Turkish border. The London-based group says clashes between […]
