Syrian government forces are continuing efforts to seize control of parts of the capital and its surrounding areas from rebel fighters. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the military bombed Daraya, on the edge of Damascus, and nearby Moadamiyeh on Thursday. Syrian forces then carried out house-to-house raids in Daraya while fierce clashes […]
Syrian Forces Continue Assault in Damascus
Posted August 24th, 2012 at 4:10 am (UTC-5)
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Beijing Tightens Security Ahead of Power Transfer
Posted August 24th, 2012 at 2:10 am (UTC-5)
Chinese authorities are tightening security in Beijing as the city prepares to host the Communist Party’s 18th National Congress that will usher in the next generation of leaders. State media are reporting increased police patrols and security checks around the capital. The Xinhua news agency says police are forming a “security belt” around Beijing to […]
Norwegian Mass Killer Faces Verdict
Posted August 24th, 2012 at 1:55 am (UTC-5)
A Norwegian court delivers its verdict in the trial of confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik Friday, deciding whether to send him to prison or to a mental hospital for twin attacks last July that killed 77 people. Breivik has confessed to the killings that took place during a bombing and shooting rampage on a […]
S.Korean Court Gives Split Decision in Apple-Samsung Case
Posted August 24th, 2012 at 12:10 am (UTC-5)
A South Korean court has ruled that U.S. technology giant Apple and its South Korean rival Samsung Electronics have infringed each other’s patents for mobile devices. The Seoul court said Friday that Apple infringed on two Samsung wireless patents, while Samsung violated one of Apple’s design patents. It awarded small damages to each side and […]
Greek PM Seeks More Time to Make Reforms, Cuts
Posted August 24th, 2012 at 12:05 am (UTC-5)
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is expected to ask for more time to make key reforms and spending cuts to keep his recession-plagued country in the eurozone when he meets Friday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. Mr. Samaras told the German newspaper Bild earlier this week that Greece is not seeking more money […]
Armstrong to be Stripped of Titles, Banned from Cycling
Posted August 24th, 2012 at 12:05 am (UTC-5)
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said late Thursday it will strip famed cyclist Lance Armstrong of his titles and ban him from competitive cycling. The USADA made its announcement after Armstrong said he would stop fighting the agency’s doping charges, following a U.S. federal court decision to dismiss his lawsuit against the agency. Armstrong won an […]
Iran Hosts Non-Aligned Summit Despite Sanctions
Posted August 23rd, 2012 at 11:20 pm (UTC-5)
Representatives of nearly 120 nations, including dozens of heads-of-state, will convene in Tehran next week for a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. Some leaders will attend the summit even as they help enforce the sanctions that are crippling Iran’s economy. Analysts will be watching to see whether the meeting improves Iran’s position in global diplomacy. […]
US To Expand Missile Defense In Asia
Posted August 23rd, 2012 at 6:25 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. defense officials say the United States is planning to expand its missile defenses in Asia, in response to threats from North Korea and aggressive moves by China. News reports Thursday quoted officials as saying the buildup could include a new radar in southern Japan and possibly another one in Southeast Asia. The X-band radars […]
Egyptian President Orders Journalist Freed from Jail
Posted August 23rd, 2012 at 5:55 pm (UTC-5)
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has ordered a newspaper editor accused of insulting him freed from jail. Mr. Morsi Thursday decreed that no journalist shall be jailed for such alleged publishing-related crimes as libel and slander. It was his first presidential decree since taking law-making powers away from the military earlier this month. The president’s decision […]
Researchers Find Rare Photo of Westerner Killed by Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge
Posted August 23rd, 2012 at 5:10 pm (UTC-5)
A Cambodian-led research team has uncovered a rare photograph of one of the few Westerners to be killed at a notorious Khmer Rouge prison in the 1970s. The Documentation Center for Cambodia sent the photograph of French embassy worker Andres Gaston Courtigne to VOA’s Khmer Service Thursday. Chief archivist Chhang Youk said his team found […]
