The high-profile murder trial of the wife of disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has begun. Officials said the closed-door trial of Gu Kailai and her houshold aide started early Thursday amid heavy security at a courthouse in the eastern city of Hefei. The two are accused of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood in November in […]
Murder Trial of Bo Xilai’s Wife Underway in China
Posted August 8th, 2012 at 10:20 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment
Study Shows Ancient Human Relatives
Posted August 8th, 2012 at 9:55 pm (UTC-5)
A famous research family that found fossils recently in northern Kenya says the discovery strengthens their theory that there were two other pre-human species in addition to the one that eventually led to modern humans eons ago. A team led by the daughter-in-law of famed paleontologist Louis Leakey found facial bones from one creature and […]
Libyan Council Hands Power to Elected Officials
Posted August 8th, 2012 at 8:15 pm (UTC-5)
Libya’s transitional council has peacefully handed over power to the country’s first elected assembly. Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the chairman of the transitional council, handed power to the elected body’s eldest member, Mohammed Ali Salim, in a ceremony in a Tripoli hotel late Wednesday. Jalil said the elected body, named the General National Congress, is from […]
US Sprinter Felix Wins Women’s 200-Meter in London
Posted August 8th, 2012 at 6:35 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. sprinter Allyson Felix has powered to victory in the women’s 200-meter race, one of the most anticipated events at the London Olympics Wednesday. Felix’s time of 21.88 seconds beat Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who was seeking a 100-meter, 200-meter sprint double win. In men’s competition, the world’s fastest man, Jamaican Usain Bolt, eased into Thursday’s […]
Syrian Activists: Latest Aleppo Fighting ‘Most Violent’
Posted August 8th, 2012 at 5:25 pm (UTC-5)
The Syrian military launched a two-pronged attack on the northern city of Aleppo Wednesday, with jets and helicopters bombing from overhead while ground forces targeted rebel positions. Syrian state television said government forces were overrunning the rebels, but the leaders of the opposition’s Free Syrian Army denied they were retreating. Reports from foreign journalists in […]
July Was Hottest Month on Record in US
Posted August 8th, 2012 at 2:40 pm (UTC-5)
Americans knew it was hot in July, and now the government is saying last month was the hottest on record. U.S. weather officials said Wednesday the average temperature across the contiguous 48 states in the country was 25.3 degrees Celsius in July. That was slightly higher than the devastating Dust Bowl summer the country suffered […]
UN: Conditions ‘Extremely Bad’ For DRC Refugees
Posted August 8th, 2012 at 2:00 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations humanitarian agency says the thousands who have fled violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are living in desperate conditions. The U.N. says nearly 280,000 people have left North Kivu province in recent weeks, many of them abruptly. Humanitarian chief Valerie Amos tells VOA many are sheltering inside public buildings. Others, […]
Afghan Civilians Suffer Fewer Casualties, But Still Struggling
Posted August 8th, 2012 at 1:55 pm (UTC-5)
A U.N. report says civilian casualties in Afghanistan’s conflict declined during the first half of this year, but another study shows Afghans believe their lives have not improved, with many saying they are struggling or suffering. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, said Wednesday it documented 3,099 civilian casualties from January to […]
Syrian Activists: Latest Aleppo Fighting ‘Most Violent’
Posted August 8th, 2012 at 1:50 pm (UTC-5)
The Syrian military launched a two-pronged attack on the northern city of Aleppo Wednesday, with jets and helicopters bombing from overhead while ground forces targeted rebel positions. Syrian state television said government forces were overrunning the rebels, but the leaders of the opposition’s Free Syrian Army denied they were retreating. Reports from foreign journalists in […]
UN Chief Calls for Sanctions on Mali Extremists
Posted August 8th, 2012 at 1:40 pm (UTC-5)
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon is calling for sanctions in Mali, where al-Qaida-linked militants are enforcing a harsh form of Islamic law in the north. In a speech to the U.N. Security Council Wednesday, Mr. Ban urged member nations to seriously consider travel and financial sanctions against those he said are engaged in “terrorist, religious […]
