A powerful earthquake in northern Italy has left at least 16 people dead, striking after another deadly quake in the same region earlier this month. Officials say 350 other were injured in the 5.8-magnitude quake Tuesday with the epicenter in the Emilia-Romagna region between the cities of Modena and Ferrara. The temblor was felt across […]
UN Panel Blames Syrian Government, Rebels for Recent Violence
Posted May 24th, 2012 at 6:50 am (UTC-5)
A United Nations panel says both the Syrian government and armed rebels have committed serious human rights violations since March of this year, as violence continues despite a shaky ceasefire. In a report released Thursday, the Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria said the army and security forces were responsible for most of the rights […]
Mali Interim President Flown to Paris for Medical Tests
Posted May 23rd, 2012 at 3:10 pm (UTC-5)
A close associate of Mali’s interim president, Dioncounda Traore, says the leader has gone to Paris for medical tests after he was assaulted by a mob of protesters in Bamako. Issa Togo, the interim leader’s former chief of staff, confirmed to VOA that Mr. Traore departed for France on Wednesday. He said Mr. Traore was […]
Fighter Jets Scrambled to Escort Diverted US Flight
Posted May 22nd, 2012 at 4:25 pm (UTC-5)
A U.S. airline flight from Paris to Charlotte, North Carolina has been diverted to the northeastern U.S. state of Maine, because of what an airline spokesman called a “security issue.” The North American Aerospace Defense Command says two F-15 fighter jets were scrambled Tuesday from an air base in the state of Massachusetts. They escorted […]
UN Nuclear Chief Sees Deal ‘Soon’ With Iran on Inspections
Posted May 22nd, 2012 at 9:35 am (UTC-5)
The head of the United Nations nuclear agency says he expects Iran to sign an agreement “quite soon” to allow inspections of facilities suspected of being used in a covert nuclear weapons program. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano made the comment Tuesday after returning to Vienna from a brief visit to Iran where […]
Aung San Suu Kyi to Give First International Speech in Geneva
Posted May 22nd, 2012 at 6:50 am (UTC-5)
United Nations officials say Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will deliver a speech to a labor conference in Geneva next month. International Labor Organization Director-General Juan Somavia said Tuesday that Aung San Suu Kyi will address the annual ILO conference on June 14. The long-time pro-democracy activist will be making her first trip […]
UN Nuclear Chief: Deal to be Signed with Iran Soon
Posted May 22nd, 2012 at 5:50 am (UTC-5)
The head of the U.N. nuclear agency says he expects Iran to sign a deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency “quite soon.” But IAEA chief Yukio Amano told reporters Tuesday in Vienna that there were still some differences that needed to be sorted out. Amano has just returned from Tehran, where he held talks […]
Iran and UN Nuclear Regulators Agree to Meet Again
Posted May 15th, 2012 at 2:20 pm (UTC-5)
Iran and the U.N. nuclear agency have ended two days of talks in Vienna with an agreement to meet again next week to discuss international concerns about Iran’s controversial nuclear program. The chief U.N. and Iranian negotiators said Tuesday the two sides will hold another meeting in the Austrian capital on Monday. International Atomic Energy […]
Australia FM Defends U.S. Military Ties While on China Trip
Posted May 15th, 2012 at 7:25 am (UTC-5)
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr is defending his country’s deepening military alliance with the United States as he makes his first official visit to China. Carr said Tuesday that his talks with Chinese officials have been dominated by concerns about Australia’s decision to host up to 2,500 U.S. troops as part of the Obama administration’s […]
Russian, Indonesian Officials Pledge to Investigate Crash of Jetliner
Posted May 11th, 2012 at 3:50 am (UTC-5)
Indonesian and Russian officials have pledged to cooperate in investigating what caused a Russian jetliner to crash into the side of a dormant volcano south of Jakarta earlier this week. Officials say all of the up to 50 passengers on board likely died when the plane slammed into a nearly vertical cliff of Mount Salak […]
