Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping is in Turkey for three days of talks on bilateral and regional issues, but the ongoing fighting in Syria topped the agenda. Ahead of Xi’s meeting with President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayiip Erdogan in Ankara Tuesday, dozens of activists from China’s Muslim Uighur minority protested near the […]
China’s VP, Turkish President Discuss Trade, Syria
Posted February 21st, 2012 at 3:25 pm (UTC-5)
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Eurozone Ministers Approve New Greek Bailout
Posted February 21st, 2012 at 2:35 pm (UTC-5)
Eurozone finance ministers have approved a new $172-billion bailout for Greece, the second for the debt-ridden country in two years. The financial-rescue package could reduce the Greek government debt from about 160 percent of the country’s economic output to just more than 120 percent by 2020 – the maximum debt level considered sustainable by the […]
Syrian Forces Kill 63; Red Cross Seeks Daily Truce
Posted February 21st, 2012 at 1:55 pm (UTC-5)
Syrian security forces killed 63 people Tuesday in assaults on northern villages and a barrage of heavy shelling in the flashpoint city of Homs, as the Red Cross called for daily cease-fires to let in urgently needed aid. Activists said at least 30 people died and more than 200 were wounded as government troops bombarded […]
Obama: Congress Must Do More For Economy, Avoid Gridlock
Posted February 21st, 2012 at 1:35 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama has praised Congress for extending a payroll tax cut, but says more needs to be done to help struggling and middle-class Americans. In Washington, Mr. Obama said the average working American saves $40 a paycheck with the tax cut. He said that money is a “big deal” for the typical family […]
Afghans Protest After Reports of Quran Desecration by NATO Troops
Posted February 21st, 2012 at 1:20 pm (UTC-5)
A crowd of at least 2,000 angry protesters gathered outside the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan Tuesday, following reports that foreign troops inside the facility had improperly disposed of copies of the Quran. Some of the protesters chanted anti-U.S. slogans, hurled stones, and set small fires outside the Bagram Airbase, north of Kabul, as […]
Karzai Invites Taliban Leadership to Direct Talks
Posted February 21st, 2012 at 1:15 pm (UTC-5)
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has invited the Taliban leadership to direct talks with his government, while asking Pakistan to “support and facilitate” those negotiations aimed at ending a decade of war. In a statement issued Tuesday, Mr. Karzai said he was inviting Taliban leaders “in order to realize the objectives of the peace process.” He […]
Afghans Protest After Reports of Quran Desecration by NATO Troops
Posted February 21st, 2012 at 1:10 pm (UTC-5)
A crowd of at least 2,000 angry protesters gathered outside the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan Tuesday, following reports that foreign troops inside the facility had improperly disposed of copies of the Quran. Some of the protesters chanted anti-U.S. slogans, hurled stones, and set small fires outside the Bagram Airbase, north of Kabul, as […]
Europe Prepares More Intense Crackdown on African Piracy
Posted February 21st, 2012 at 12:10 pm (UTC-5)
European powers are about to intensify their campaign against pirates active in the Gulf of Aden and other waters near Somalia. British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced London will fund the construction of a new anti-piracy center in the Seychelles and provide the center’s director. Hague said the Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecutions Intelligence Coordination Center will […]
Dow Stock Average Hits 13,000
Posted February 21st, 2012 at 12:10 pm (UTC-5)
The most closely watched stock market index in the United States, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, advanced above the milestone 13,000 mark on Tuesday. It was the first time the index of 30 key American stocks had touched the 13,000 level since May 2008. After reaching that mark in late-morning trading in New York, the […]
Ethiopian, Somali Troops Clash With al-Shabab
Posted February 21st, 2012 at 12:05 pm (UTC-5)
Witnesses say Ethiopian and Somali government troops have clashed with al-Shabab militants in southwestern Somalia. VOA’s Somali Service reports the sides battled Tuesday in a village between the towns of Luq and Bardale. Bardale is located 60 kilometers west of Baidoa, an al-Shabab stronghold that was once the seat of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government. Speaking […]
