The opposition Syrian National Council has urged the United Nations Security Council and the Arab League to take action after reports that government troops “massacred” more than 200 people in two days. The opposition council on Wednesday called for an emergency U.N. meeting to discuss the recent “massacres” in Zawiyah mountain, Idlib and Homs. The […]
Syrian Opposition Urges UN to Act After ‘Massacre’
Posted December 21st, 2011 at 4:30 pm (UTC-5)
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Turkish Troops Kill 21 Kurdish Rebels
Posted December 21st, 2011 at 3:10 pm (UTC-5)
Turkish officials say Turkish troops have killed 21 Kurdish rebels in a military operation in the southeast now into its fifth day. The officials said Wednesday the clashes were in Diyarbakir province in the area of Goresi Mountain. The Turkish military launched the ground and air strikes after identifying a group of rebels belonging to […]
Human Rights Group Pays Tribute to Late Czech Leader
Posted December 21st, 2011 at 3:10 pm (UTC-5)
A top human rights group has paid tribute to Vaclav Havel, the former Czech leader who died Sunday of respiratory problems at the age of 75. Amnesty International said Wednesday that Mr. Havel was a human rights defender who left behind “an outstanding moral and intellectual legacy.” A senior Amnesty official said Mr. Havel’s work […]
EU Court Approves Airline Pollution-Control Scheme
Posted December 21st, 2011 at 2:45 pm (UTC-5)
International airlines that fly into Europe have lost a bid to block a law that charges them for their carbon pollution, a measure that will soon boost the cost of traveling to and within the continent. The European Court of Justice ruled Wednesday that the law including airlines in the European Union’s emissions trading scheme […]
Iraqi VP Tells VOA Charges Against Him Politically-Motivated
Posted December 21st, 2011 at 2:40 pm (UTC-5)
Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi says allegations that he plotted to kill other government officials are politically-motivated by a prime minister bent on consolidating power after U.S. troops withdrew this month. In an interview with VOA Wednesday, Hashemi says Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki controls the security and intelligence forces and does not allow other elected […]
President and Republicans Deadlocked Over Tax Cuts
Posted December 21st, 2011 at 2:30 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama has spoken by phone with Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner, urging House passage of a two-month extension of a payroll tax cut that the Senate approved last week. The White House released a statement Wednesday saying Mr. Obama urged passage of the two-month extension as a stopgap […]
Ukraine President Says He Will Not Intervene in Tymoshenko Case
Posted December 21st, 2011 at 2:25 pm (UTC-5)
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych says he does not oppose the release of jailed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko but that he cannot interfere in her case. Mr. Yanukovych said Wednesday Ms. Tymoshenko can only win her freedom in the courts, but that he has no power to intervene in the legal process. He said doing […]
Spain’s PM Sworn In, Vows to Revive Economy
Posted December 21st, 2011 at 2:25 pm (UTC-5)
Spain’s new prime minister Mariano Rajoy was sworn in Wednesday, vowing to revive the country’s economy. Spain’s King Juan Carlos swore in the new conservative prime minister in a ceremony at the Zarzuela palace in Madrid. Mr. Rajoy promised to show loyalty to the king and to safeguard the constitution. He is expected to announce […]
Iraqi VP Tells VOA Charges Against Him Politically-Motivated
Posted December 21st, 2011 at 2:25 pm (UTC-5)
Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi says allegations that he plotted to kill other government officials are politically-motivated by a prime minister bent on consolidating power after U.S. troops withdrew this month. In an interview with VOA Wednesday, Hashemi says Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki controls the security and intelligence forces and does not allow other elected […]
China Rips British Actor Christian Bale for Failed Dissident Visit
Posted December 21st, 2011 at 2:15 pm (UTC-5)
The Chinese Foreign Ministry says acclaimed British actor Christian Bale should “feel embarrassed” after his failed attempt last week to visit a detained Chinese dissident while touring the People’s Republic. Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin, speaking Wednesday in Beijing, accused the Academy Award-winning Bale of “fabricating news” when he made international headlines with attempts to visit […]
