U.S. President Barack Obama is set Tuesday to award the Israeli president, a World War II resistance fighter, a former U.S. astronaut, and several others the nation’s highest civilian honor — the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In a ceremony at the White House, the president will give the medal to 13 people deemed to have […]
Obama to Award Highest Civilian Honor to 13 Recipients
Posted May 29th, 2012 at 2:05 pm (UTC-5)
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Annan Urges ‘Bold Steps Now’ on Syria, West Expels Envoys
Posted May 29th, 2012 at 2:05 pm (UTC-5)
With deaths mounting and the West expelling Syrian diplomats, international peace envoy Kofi Annan appealed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for “bold steps now, not tomorrow,” to push the U.N.’s six-point peace plan forward. The U.N. special envoy told reporters in Damascus Tuesday that he conveyed to Mr. Assad the international community’s concern about the […]
Turkey Preparing Law to Reduce Abortions
Posted May 29th, 2012 at 1:35 pm (UTC-5)
Turkey says its government is preparing draft legislation to reduce the number of abortions, days after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan compared the practice to “murder.” Officials said Tuesday the measure will be enacted into law. Mr. Erdogan attacked abortion last week in comments during the opening ceremony of a hospital in Istanbul. He said […]
Secretary Clinton Extends US Support to Middle East Activists
Posted May 29th, 2012 at 1:25 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed Middle East democracy activists to the State Department Tuesday, asking for their input on how the United States can help advance freedom and human rights in the region. Greeting the activists before the meeting, Clinton called on them to give their “honest assessments” of the best ways for […]
Sudan Pulls Forces from Abyei, Peace Talks with South Resume
Posted May 29th, 2012 at 1:05 pm (UTC-5)
Sudan is reported to have pulled its forces from the disputed Abyei region Tuesday, shortly after peace talks resumed with South Sudan. The Sudanese Media Center, which has ties to the government, said troops had handed over facilities in Abyei to United Nations peacekeepers. South Sudan pulled its forces out of the oil-producing region earlier […]
Somalia President Survives al-Shabab Attack
Posted May 29th, 2012 at 1:05 pm (UTC-5)
Somalia’s President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has survived an assassination attempt by al-Shabab militants. Gunmen opened fire on the president’s convoy Tuesday in the Alamada area, about 15 kilometers west of the capital, Mogadishu. A VOA reporter traveling with the convoy says the president was unharmed, but a bodyguard was killed and seven other people […]
Obama to Award Highest Civilian Honor to 13 Recipients
Posted May 29th, 2012 at 1:00 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama is set Tuesday to award a former Israeli president, a World War Two resistance fighter, a former U.S. astronaut, and several others the nation’s highest civilian honor — the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In a ceremony at the White House, the president will give the medal to 13 people deemed to […]
Kenyan Police Say Bomb Caused Nairobi Blast
Posted May 29th, 2012 at 12:50 pm (UTC-5)
Kenyan police say an explosion that wounded at least 38 people in Nairobi Monday was caused by a bomb. Police had initially said the explosion, in a building full of small shops, resulted from an electrical malfunction. However, police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said Tuesday the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device. Some investigators […]
Aung San Suu Kyi Arrives in Bangkok on First International Trip in Over Two Decades
Posted May 29th, 2012 at 12:45 pm (UTC-5)
Burma’s long-time democracy icon and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is in Thailand’s capital, marking her first international trip in 24 years and ending an era of isolation in her home country. She was greeted by throngs of journalists and supporters chanting “Mother Suu,” after her plane landed at Bangkok’s international airport late Tuesday. […]
Journalists Protest Machete Attack in Bangladesh
Posted May 29th, 2012 at 12:30 pm (UTC-5)
Hundreds of journalists in Bangladesh are protesting an attack on their colleagues at one of the country’s leading online news outlets. A group of men wielding machetes broke into the offices of bdnews24.com in the capital late Monday — seriously wounding at least two people and slashing other staff members. A photograph of the scene […]
