Syrian opposition groups reported fresh violence in several areas of Syria on Friday, less than a week before a U.N.-backed cease-fire is to take effect. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told VOA that government troops battled rebel forces in several suburbs of Damascus. It said three members of the military were killed. Clashes also […]
Clashes Erupt in Syria, Despite Warning from UN
Posted April 6th, 2012 at 5:05 am (UTC-5)
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Reports: Malawian President Dies After Suffering Heart Attack
Posted April 6th, 2012 at 4:00 am (UTC-5)
Medical sources say Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika has died after suffering a heart attack, but there has been no official announcement of his death. Diplomatic sources say he collapsed after taking ill at his home in Lilongwe, the capital, on Thursday. He was rushed to the hospital, where sources say he died. Mr. Mutharika […]
Russia Denounces Bout Sentence
Posted April 6th, 2012 at 3:40 am (UTC-5)
Russia’s foreign ministry is lashing out at the United States for ordering Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to 25 years in prison. A ministry statement Friday condemned the sentence, accusing the U.S. court of carrying out an obvious “political order.” A U.S. judge handed Bout the 25-year prison term for attempting to sell missiles to […]
US Coast Guard Sinks Japanese ‘Ghost Ship’
Posted April 6th, 2012 at 2:45 am (UTC-5)
The U.S. Coast Guard has sunk an abandoned Japanese fishing boat off the coast of Alaska, more than a year after a tsunami sent it drifting aimlessly across the Pacific Ocean. The 50-meter long Ryou-Un Mara went down Thursday in the Gulf of Alaska, hours after a Coast Guard vessel started shooting at it, setting […]
China Begins Trial of Most Wanted Fugitive
Posted April 6th, 2012 at 2:00 am (UTC-5)
State-run media says the man who was once considered China’s top fugitive went on trial Friday after battling deportation from Canada for a decade. The Xinhua news agency says the trial of Lai Changxing began in Xiamen city in eastern Fujian province, where he is accused of running a $10 billion smuggling ring that handled […]
Tuareg Rebels Proclaim Independence in Northern Mali
Posted April 6th, 2012 at 12:55 am (UTC-5)
Tuareg rebels in northern Mali proclaimed independence on Friday, and asked for international recognition of their so-called “Azawad” nation. In statement on their website, the rebels of The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, or MNLA, said they would respect the borders with others states. The MNLA declared a cease-fire on Thursday, saying it […]
Russian Arms Dealer Gets 25 Years in US Prison
Posted April 6th, 2012 at 12:15 am (UTC-5)
A U.S. judge has sentenced Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to 25 years in prison on terrorism charges for attempting to sell missiles to Colombian rebels. Bout, who prosecutors dubbed the “Merchant of Death,” shouted during the sentencing hearing that the charges against him were a lie. He called himself a legitimate businessman. His lawyer […]
