U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed former president George W. Bush back to the White House for the unveiling of his official portrait, sharing some laughs with his predecessor and political adversary. The former president was joined by his wife, Laura, and other family members including his father and his mother, former president George H.W. Bush […]
White House Unveils Official Portrait of Former President George W Bush
Posted May 31st, 2012 at 4:35 pm (UTC-5)
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Putin Takes First Trip Abroad Since Inauguration
Posted May 31st, 2012 at 4:25 pm (UTC-5)
Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Belarus on his first foreign trip since being sworn in for a controversial third term earlier this month. Before departing for Germany and France, President Putin is expected to discuss Russia-Belarus ties with Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko who greeted Mr. Putin at the airport in Minsk. American political analyst […]
UN Says Civilian Death Rate in Afghanistan is Unacceptable
Posted May 31st, 2012 at 3:55 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan says civilian casualties from the Afghan conflict remain at “unacceptably high levels” despite a 21-percent drop in conflict-related deaths during the first four months of this year. In a report released Thursday, UNAMA said 2011 marked the fifth year in a row in which civilian casualties increased in […]
ICC Rejects Arrest Warrant for Mudacumura for DRC Crimes
Posted May 31st, 2012 at 3:40 pm (UTC-5)
Judges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague have rejected a prosecutors’ request to issue an arrest warrant for a commander of a brutal Rwandan Hutu militia that has terrorized eastern Congo for years. In a written decision Thursday, the judges said that ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo’s May 15 request failed to provide […]
UN Warns of Increase in Displaced People Over Next Decade
Posted May 31st, 2012 at 3:25 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations is warning of a significant increase in the number of displaced people around the world during the next decade, as conflict, natural disasters and climate change force people from their homes. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, said at the United Nations in New York Thursday that the world is […]
US Appeals Court Rules Against Gay Marriage Law
Posted May 31st, 2012 at 3:20 pm (UTC-5)
A Massachusetts appeals court has ruled against a U.S. marriage law that denies federal benefits to same-sex married couples. The First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston ruled Thursday that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional. The 1996 law defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, and absolves […]
Report: Somalia Has Not Accounted For Majority of Funds
Posted May 31st, 2012 at 3:20 pm (UTC-5)
A World Bank report says the Somali government has not accounted for most of the revenues and donations it received in 2009 and 2010. The report, released this week, says World Bank auditors found that Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government received far more money than it has said. In an interview with VOA , the report’s […]
Images Show Alleged ‘Sanitization’ at Iran Nuclear Site
Posted May 31st, 2012 at 2:50 pm (UTC-5)
Satellite images obtained by a U.S. research organization suggest Iran may be trying to wipe traces of nuclear weapon testing from a key military site. The Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) said the images, published on its website Thursday, show evidence “two small buildings at the same site as the suspected testing […]
Europe’s Chief Banker Says Eurozone ‘Unsustainable’
Posted May 31st, 2012 at 2:05 pm (UTC-5)
Europe’s chief banker says the current operation of the 17-nation euro currency bloc is “unsustainable” and that it must create a new vision of how it will manage its affairs in the coming years. The head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, said the financial institution has done what it could to combat the […]
Rights Group Rebukes Turkish PM on Abortion Stance
Posted May 31st, 2012 at 1:40 pm (UTC-5)
Human Rights Watch has rebuked Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for suggesting Turkey should greatly restrict abortion. The international rights group on Thursday expressed concern about Mr. Erdogan’s recent statement that he views abortion as murder and that his government is preparing legislation to severely limit women’s access to abortion. Gauri van Gulik, global […]
