The U.S. military says two American service members have died following an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan. The military says the attack took place on Saturday but provided no other information about the incident. Earlier this month, a suicide bomber attacked a joint Afghan-NATO patrol in the region, killing at least 14 people. The Taliban […]
Terror Suspects Appear in U.S. Courts after Extradition from Britain
Posted October 6th, 2012 at 12:25 pm (UTC-5)
Radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri was scheduled to appear before a U.S. federal judge in New York Saturday following his extradition from Britain on terrorism charges. Officials say Hamza will be formally arraigned on Tuesday. The Egyptian-born former imam faces charges that include conspiring to set up a terrorist training camp in the state […]
Somali President Names PM
Posted October 6th, 2012 at 11:40 am (UTC-5)
Somalia’s new president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has announced his choice of a political newcomer to serve as the country’s prime minister. President Mohamud, on Saturday, announced his selection of Abdi Farah Shirdoon Saaid, a Kenya-based businessman. A correspondent in Somalia has told VOA that Mr. Mohamud announced his choice after holding a series of consultations […]
North Korean Soldier Kills 2 Before Defecting to South
Posted October 6th, 2012 at 11:15 am (UTC-5)
A South Korean official says a North Korean soldier has defected to the South after killing two officers. A South Korean Defense Ministry official says the defection took place around noon on Saturday across the western section of the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone separating the two countries. The South Korean military says the soldier used […]
Khan Leads Drone Protest in Pakistan
Posted October 6th, 2012 at 10:15 am (UTC-5)
Hundreds of activists have joined Pakistani cricket star turned politician Imran Khan, who has launched a so-called motorcade march against U.S. drone strikes. Khan and his Movement for Justice Party, along with Western and local activists, began the drive Saturday in Islamabad. The convoy is headed to the South Waziristan tribal district along the Afghan […]
Latest Self-Immolation in Tibet Brings Total to 54
Posted October 6th, 2012 at 10:05 am (UTC-5)
Reports from Tibet say another protester demanding Tibetan freedom has set himself on fire, bringing the number of Tibetans known to have self-immolated to 54. Sources in Tibet say a 27-year-old father of two, Sangay Gyatso, set himself on fire in eastern Tibet near the Dokar monastery, on Saturday. He is believed to have died. […]
Turkey: Syria Fires Again Across Border
Posted October 6th, 2012 at 9:45 am (UTC-5)
Turkish state media say another round of mortar fire from Syria has landed in southern Turkey. The Anatolian news agency says Turkish military returned fire Saturday after the mortar round landed in a rural area amid intense clashes on the Syrian side of the border in Idlib province. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned […]
Pope’s Butler Found Guilty, Sentenced to 18 Months
Posted October 6th, 2012 at 9:20 am (UTC-5)
The Vatican Court has found Pope Benedict’s former butler guilty of aggravated theft for stealing the pontiff’s personal papers and leaking them to a journalist. A Vatican spokesman said it is likely the pope will pardon Gabriele, although he did not say when. Judge Giuseppe Dalla Torre on Saturday read aloud the three-judge panel’s sentence […]
Terror Suspects Extradited from Britain Headed to U.S. Courts
Posted October 6th, 2012 at 8:45 am (UTC-5)
Five suspected terrorists extradited overnight from Britain, including Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri, are expected to appear in U.S. courtrooms within 24 hours. Two U.S. planes arrived in the U.S. early Saturday, having departed a British Royal Air Force base immediately after the High Court rejected last-minute appeals by Hamza and the others. The five […]
Pope’s Butler Found Guilty, Sentenced to 18 Months
Posted October 6th, 2012 at 6:55 am (UTC-5)
The Vatican Court has found Pope Benedict’s former butler guilty of aggravated theft for stealing the pontiff’s personal papers and leaking them to a journalist. Judge Giuseppe Dalla Torre on Saturday read aloud the three-judge panel’s sentence of 18 months in prison for Paolo Gabriele, a 46-year-old father of three. Gabriele’s co-defendant, a Vatican computer […]
