Tens of thousands of North Koreans gathered in Pyongyang’s central square on Friday to protest South Korea’s government, which has been sharply critical of the North’s failed rocket launch last week. State television footage showed a massive crowd of soldiers and civilians waving their fists and chanting slogans against South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, as […]
Defiant North Korea Holds Anti-South Rally
Posted April 20th, 2012 at 7:35 am (UTC-5)
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‘Very Fragile’ Syrian Cease-Fire Eroding
Posted April 20th, 2012 at 6:40 am (UTC-5)
Syrian activists report government forces are pounding a rebel-held section of the central city of Homs, the latest violence to grip a nation already losing its hold on an ever shakier cease-fire. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Syrian forces are bombarding the Khaldiyeh neighborhood in Homs with mortar rounds, reporting explosions every […]
Burma’s NLD May Boycott Parliament over Oath of Office Dispute
Posted April 20th, 2012 at 6:30 am (UTC-5)
The opposition party of Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi says it may boycott parliament over a dispute regarding the constitutional oath of office, just weeks after winning a landslide victory in the country’s by-elections. Officials with the National League for Democracy say its newly elected members are unlikely to attend the opening session […]
Defiant North Korea Holds Anti-South Rally
Posted April 20th, 2012 at 5:10 am (UTC-5)
North Korea said Friday a rally was being held in Pyongyang’s central square to protest against South Korea’s government, which has been sharply critical of the North’s failed rocket launch last week. In typically aggressive language, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the square was crowded with military members and civilians who vow […]
Two Uighurs Released from Guantanamo
Posted April 20th, 2012 at 4:55 am (UTC-5)
The Pentagon says two members of China’s Muslim Uighur minority have been released from the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and resettled in El Salvador. The men had been held without charge for nearly a decade. The Chinese government has demanded the return of the Uighurs from Guantanamo, but Washington has refused Beijing’s demands to repatriate […]
Bahrain Protesters Call for ‘Days of Rage’ as Grand Prix Nears
Posted April 20th, 2012 at 4:30 am (UTC-5)
Security forces in Bahrain are trying to break up protests that flared up Thursday in villages surrounding the capital ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix race. Police fired tear gas and stun grenades to push back protesters, as the Formula One race cars prepared to take to the race course for practice runs Friday. The French […]
IMF Loan Fund Growing
Posted April 20th, 2012 at 4:05 am (UTC-5)
Finance ministers from the world’s 20 biggest economies enter a second day of talks Friday in Washington, with the European debt crisis likely to dominate the discussions. The International Monetary Fund is seeking an additional $400 billion from member nations to boost its ability to protect the world economy against the eurozone debt crisis. The […]
Al-Qaida in Iraq: Wave of Bombings Just the Start
Posted April 20th, 2012 at 3:45 am (UTC-5)
Iraq’s al-Qaida branch is promising a wave of bombings that wrecked havoc across Baghdad and other cities Thursday is just the beginning. A statement issued by the Islamic State of Iraq and posted on militant websites Friday said the group was targeting security forces in retaliation for what it called an anti-Sunni campaign that involved […]
Burma’s NLD to Boycott Parliament over Oath of Office Dispute
Posted April 20th, 2012 at 3:40 am (UTC-5)
Burma’s main opposition party says it will boycott parliament over a dispute regarding the constitutional oath of office, just weeks after the party won a landslide victory in the once-isolated country’s by-elections. The National League for Democracy’s Executive Committee member Ohn Kyaing tells VOA’s Burmese service that none of its newly elected members will attend […]
Americans Feared Dead in Afghan Helicopter Crash
Posted April 20th, 2012 at 2:30 am (UTC-5)
U.S. officials said Friday the four people aboard an American Black Hawk helicopter that crashed in southwestern Afghanistan were likely Americans. Military officials say all four people are believed to have died in the crash Thursday during bad weather. Officials say the helicopter crashed in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold. NATO coalition spokesman Lt. […]
