Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva has named center-right leader Pedro Passos Coelho as the new prime minister of the financially troubled country. Mr. Coelho and his Social Democrat Party won this month’s parliamentary elections, knocking the Socialists out of power. The new prime minister says he will work quickly to form a new coalition government […]
Center-Right Leader Passos Coelho Named Portugal’s New PM
Malaysian Couple Charged With Murder of Indonesian Maid
Malaysian police have filed murder charges against a Kuala Lumpur couple whose 26-year-old Indonesian maid was declared dead at a Kuala Lumpur hospital this month. The death came less than a week after Indonesia agreed to end a two-year ban on allowing its citizens to work as maids in Malaysia because of reported abuse cases. […]
Thai Army Chief Issues Veiled Election Endorsement
Thailand’s army chief is urging the public to elect “good people” and defend the king in next month’s national elections in what is seen as a veiled endorsement of the ruling pro-monarchy Democrat party. In a late Tuesday broadcast on military television stations, General Prayuth Chan-ocha said security services have found widespread evidence of disrespect […]
Reports: CIA Building Secret Mideast Air Base to Target Yemeni Terrorists
U.S. media report the Central Intelligence Agency is building a secret air base in the Middle East to use for armed drone attacks on terrorists in Yemen. The Associated Press, which first reported the construction plans, quotes unnamed U.S. officials who say the base, at an undisclosed location, could be operational by the end of […]
Chilean Volcano Causes More Flight Disruptions
A cloud of ash from a volcano in Chile is disrupting air travel for a fourth day Wednesday, forcing the cancellation of flights in South America, Australia and New Zealand. More than 60,000 passengers have already been stranded. Virgin Australia said Wednesday the ash cloud would be too low to avoid on flights to and […]
North, South Sudan Try to Finalize Deal on Abyei
Negotiators for north and south Sudan remain in talks to finalize a reported deal on the disputed Abyei region. VOA correspondent Peter Heinlein says the presidents of north and south Sudan have left the talks in Ethiopia’s capital, but that meetings with lower-level officials continue. North Sudan’s army seized control of oil-rich Abyei last month, […]
Chile Volcano Causing Widespread Flight Disruptions
A cloud of ash from an erupting volcano in southern Chile has – for a third day, Tuesday – disrupted air travel in South America, Australia and New Zealand, causing widespread delays. More than 60,000 passengers have been stranded. While flights in some areas have resumed, including Melbourne, planes to and from New Zealand and […]
Alaska Releases Ex-Governor Palin’s E-Mails
Officials in the far northwestern U.S. state of Alaska have released more than 24,000 pages of Sarah Palin’s e-mails from her first two years as governor. The e-mails were distributed in paper form to reporters Friday, at the state capital, Juneau. Several news agencies have begun scanning them for distribution electronically. Two major U.S. newspapers […]
China Rejects Vietnamese Report of Maritime Incident
Chinese officials also rejected that allegation and complaints from the Philippines about what Manila considers illegal Chinese intrusions into its waters. China’s ambassador to the Philippines said the South China Sea is Beijing’s territory and has been for centuries, but Liu Jianchao said Thursday in Manila that China will adhere to a 2002 agreement on […]
Poll: Most Australians Say Gay Marriage Inevitable
A new public opinion survey has found that most Australians believe same-sex marriage will be legalized in the country. The survey found about 75 percent of those asked agree that it is inevitable that the law preventing homosexuals from marrying will be repealed. The poll was commissioned by the advocacy group Australian Marriage Equality. Alex […]