The Philippines’ first impeachment trial of a Supreme Court justice began Monday. Members of the 23-person Senate will sit as judges to determine whether Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona should be removed from his post. The Philippine constitution requires a two-thirds endorsement of the senators, or 16, for Corona to become the first Philippine […]
Philippine Chief Justice Impeachment Trial Begins
Liberian President Takes Oath For Second Term
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has begun her second term with a pledge to maintain peace and create jobs in her formerly war-torn nation. Mrs. Sirleaf spoke Monday after her inauguration in the capital, Monrovia, attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other high-ranking officials, including the leaders of Guinea, Senegal, Sierra Leone […]
Nigeria Labor Unions Suspend Strike Over Fuel Prices
Nigerian union leaders say they are suspending a nationwide strike over fuel costs, after the president announced a partial rollback of this month’s price increase. The head of the Nigeria Labor Congress, Abdulwahed Omar, told a news conference in Abuja Monday that unions are suspending the strike and the demonstrations that have taken place in […]
Rights Activists Say Pro-Government Militiamen Kill 5 in Syria
Syrian rights activists say pro-government militia members have killed five people and wounded nine others in the restive city of Homs. The continued violence Monday comes a day after Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani called for Arab troops to be sent to Syria. His comments broadcast Sunday in an interview with the U.S. […]
Liberian President Takes Oath For Second Term
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has been sworn in for her second term, after handily winning re-election in a November vote. A VOA correspondent says U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the heads of at least four West African nations attended Monday’s inauguration in the capital, Monrovia. Mrs. Sirleaf has pledged to address economic […]
Associated Press Opens News Bureau in North Korea
The Associated Press has opened a bureau in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, becoming the first international news organization with a full-time presence to cover news from the reclusive nation in words, pictures and videos. AP opened the office Monday, after almost a year of negotiations and less than a month after the death of […]
Nigeria Cuts Fuel Prices After Strike, Protests
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has announced the government will cut fuel prices, after a week-long nationwide strike and protests against soaring costs. Mr. Jonathan said in a televised address Monday that given “hardships being suffered by the Nigerian people,” fuel prices will drop to about 60 cents per liter. That is a reduction of about […]
Japan to Name 39 Uninhabited Islands
Japan says it will name 39 uninhabited islands, including some at the center of a dispute with China. Japan said Monday the islands will be named by the end of March and used on new maps that will delineate the area Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone. Some of the islands are within an […]
Three Parties Win Seats in Kazakhstan Parliament
Three political parties will enter Kazakhstan’s parliament, where every seat is currently held by the ruling party. Election results released Monday give the pro-business Ak Zhol party and the largely pro-government Communist People’s Party at least seven percent of the vote each. Under Kazakhstan’s new election law, the second-place finisher automatically gets seats. But any […]
Britain, Hong Kong to Develop London as Yuan Trading Hub
Britain says it is partnering with Hong Kong to develop London as an international trading center for China’s currency. British Finance Minister George Osborne told a a meeting of Asian finance officials and executives in Hong Kong Monday the joint venture is designed to establish London as a “new hub” for the yuan. “It reflects […]