Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has made an appeal to U.S. lawmakers requesting a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to help him leave China. Chen made a phone call to a congressional hearing in Washington discussing his case and said he was tired and wanted to come to the United States to rest. He […]
Syrian Forces Raid Aleppo University, 4 Killed
Posted May 3rd, 2012 at 5:55 pm (UTC-5)
Syrian security forces stormed a protest march and killed four people at Aleppo University early Thursday. The U.S. condemned the incident and accused President Bashar al-Assad of making “no effort” to honor a three-week-old U.N.-brokered truce. Amateur video showed about 1,500 students in the northern city of Aleppo chanting against the Assad family’s four-decade-long rule […]
Seized Letters Reveal a Frustrated Bin Laden
Posted May 3rd, 2012 at 5:50 pm (UTC-5)
TYPE: CN )) A study of newly declassified documents recovered from Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan after his death last year highlights what was, at times, an apparently difficult relationship between al-Qaida’s core group and its affiliates. The documents in the form of letters, analyzed and released by the U.S. Military Academy Thursday, show […]
US Officials: Blind China Activist Never Asked for Asylum
Posted May 3rd, 2012 at 5:40 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. officials have dismissed reports that a blind Chinese activist who was sheltered at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing for almost a week was forced to leave. U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke told reporters Thursday that Chen Guangchen had never asked for asylum and that he had chosen to stay in China after the […]
Facebook Estimating Value at Nearly $96 Billion in IPO
Posted May 3rd, 2012 at 5:35 pm (UTC-5)
Facebook, the social network website used by more than 900 million people around the world, is about to go public. Facebook announced Thursday that its initial public offering will be between $28 and $35 a share. At this price, Facebook would be worth as much as $96 billion. Facebook executives plan to hold what they […]
Major Terrorist Attack Thwarted in Afghanistan
Posted May 3rd, 2012 at 4:25 pm (UTC-5)
Afghan authorities say the country’s intelligence agency has thwarted a major terrorist attack near the capital and arrested a Pakistani national in connection with the attempted strike. The agency said the suspect was driving a truck filled with explosives when he was arrested Thursday on a road just east of Kabul. It said the man […]
Bahrain Ratifies Changes to Constitution; Opposition Unimpressed
Posted May 3rd, 2012 at 3:50 pm (UTC-5)
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Thursday approved changes to the country’s constitution aimed at ending a nearly 15-months-old popular revolt in the Gulf state. The amendments include giving parliament more powers to question and remove government ministers. During a ceremony in Manama, King Hamad said that “the door of dialogue is open […]
Russia’s Top General Says Preemptive Strike Against Missile Shield Possible
Posted May 3rd, 2012 at 2:40 pm (UTC-5)
Russia’s top general said Thursday that Moscow may be forced to disable NATO’s planned missile defense system in Europe. Army General Nikolay Makarov told an international conference on missile defense in Moscow that a pre-emptive strike could be utilized to physically destroy the missile systems. Makarov added that he hoped the use of weapons of […]
South Sudan Accuses North of New Bombings Despite Ultimatum
Posted May 3rd, 2012 at 12:45 pm (UTC-5)
South Sudan is accusing Sudan of bombing its border region Thursday despite a U.N. Security Council warning for the countries to end hostilities or face sanctions. Southern army spokesman Philip Aguer told VOA that Sudanese warplanes dropped 12 bombs and launched artillery in the village of Lalop where southern forces are stationed. Aguer said the […]
Major Terrorist Attack Thwarted in Afghanistan
Posted May 3rd, 2012 at 12:45 pm (UTC-5)
Afghanistan’s intelligence agency has thwarted a major terrorist attack in the capital and arrested a Pakistani national in connection with the attempted strike. The agency says the suspect was driving a truck filled with explosives when he was arrested Thursday on a road just east of Kabul. It says the man aimed to use the […]
