A lawyer for Egypt’s former president, Hosni Mubarak, says the hospitalized ex-leader has stomach cancer. Farid el-Deeb said Monday the 83-year-old ousted president underwent “critical surgery” in Germany last year to remove his gallbladder and part of his pancreas, which were cancerous. He said there is evidence suggesting the cancer has come back. The lawyer […]
Deposed Tunisian Leader, Wife Sentenced to 35 Years
Posted June 20th, 2011 at 4:00 pm (UTC-5)
Ousted Tunisian president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and his wife have been convicted in absentia of embezzlement and other charges after jewels and public funds were found in one of their palaces. They were sentenced to 35 years each in prison. The judge also ruled that Mr. Ben Ali and his wife, Leila Trabelsi, would […]
Protests After Syrian President Says ‘Saboteurs’ Hurting Reform
Posted June 20th, 2011 at 1:50 pm (UTC-5)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says “saboteurs” are trying to exploit calls for change and he warned there can be no national reform through “vandalism.” The 70-minute speech at Damascus University Monday was his third major address since anti-government protests began in mid-March. Witnesses and activists say protests erupted in several places after Mr. Assad’s speech, […]
Iran Sets Hearing Date for American Hikers
Posted June 20th, 2011 at 1:20 pm (UTC-5)
The Iranian lawyer for the three Americans hikers accused of spying says Iran has set their next court hearing on July 31. Masoud Shafii told VOA he received an official notification of the court date on Monday. The hearing falls on the second anniversary of the hikers’ arrest. Iranian authorities arrested Sarah Shourd, Josh Fattal […]
Protests After Syrian President Says ‘Saboteurs’ Hurting Reform
Posted June 20th, 2011 at 1:00 pm (UTC-5)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says “saboteurs” are trying to exploit calls for change and he warned there can be no national reform through “vandalism.” The 70-minute speech at Damascus University was his third major address since anti-government protests began in mid-March. Witnesses and activists say protests erupted after Mr. Assad’s speech in several places, including […]
NATO Confirms Libyan Claim of New Airstrike
Posted June 20th, 2011 at 12:30 pm (UTC-5)
NATO on Monday confirmed a Libyan government claim of an early-morning airstrike on a compound of a close associate to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. NATO at first denied the strike, saying the alliance had not conducted any recent operations in the area of Surman, about 65 kilometers west of the capital, Tripoli. The Libyan government […]
NATO Denies Libyan Claim of New Airstrike Deaths
Posted June 20th, 2011 at 10:35 am (UTC-5)
Libya’s government says a NATO airstrike killed 15 people on Monday in a compound of a close associate to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. NATO denies the strike, saying the alliance has not conducted any recent operations in that area. A spokesman for the Libyan government said the compound is in Surman, about 65 kilometers west […]
Iran Plans Bigger Satellites With Longer Ranges
Posted June 20th, 2011 at 10:10 am (UTC-5)
Iran’s president says the Islamic Republic plans to launch bigger satellites with longer ranges. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday that the satellites could reach an altitude of 35,000 kilometers. He spoke in the northwestern city of Zanjan where he was marking the opening of two dams. Iranian state media reported last Wednesday that the […]
Tunisia’s Ousted President Says Tricked into Leaving
Posted June 20th, 2011 at 9:40 am (UTC-5)
Tunisia’s ousted president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali says he was tricked into leaving his country for Saudi Arabia, as Tunisia begins to try him in absentia in the first of what are expected to be multiple trials related to his years in power. Mr. Ali said Monday in a statement issued by his lawyers that […]
