The U.N. Special Investigator for Sudan reports an overall deterioration in the country's human rights conditions. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA the investigator has submitted a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. Sima Samar (2007 file...
Stock markets across Asia followed U.S. and European shares sharply lower, in reaction to the collapse of the investment company Lehman Brothers. The markets in Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong - which were closed Monday for a holiday - led the selling. V...
The Asian Development Bank predicts that developing economies in Asia will see slower growth and rising inflation in the coming year. The bank says high oil and food prices and a prolonged slowdown in industrial countries are casting a shadow on the...
Australia has opened a new National Center for Bio-Security to build its defenses against infectious diseases and biological weapons. Medical experts say it will help protect the country from threats such as SARS and bird flu as well as attacks by t...
Thailand's People's Power Party has nominated a relative of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to become the nation's new leader. But as Ron Corben reports from Bangkok, fighting among the PPP's factions created uncertainties before the vote....
International aid agencies are withdrawing from Sri Lanka's war-battered northern region, as fighting intensifies between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi that the withdrawal comes a week after the gov...
Under pressure from Nepal's new Maoist-led government, India says it is ready to review the 58-year-old treaty that governs the relationship between the two countries. VOA correspondent Steve Herman reports from New Delhi the announcement followed t...
Taliban attacks in Afghanistan rose sharply this year, underscoring the difficulty faced by the Afghan government and coalition forces trying to stamp out the persistent and deadly insurgency. But just how serious a threat does the Taliban pose to t...
France announced Tuesday its military forces have rescued two French sailors held hostage off the coast of Somalia - waters considered among the world's most dangerous when it comes to pirate attacks. From Paris, Lisa Bryant reports for VOA the Euro...
The European Union is hosting its first meeting to address the problems of the Roma community, which suffers from discrimination and poverty. Lisa Bryant reports from Paris that rights groups hope it will lead to a more inclusive policy for these pe...
Major European stock indexes dropped for a second day amid worries about the fallout of the Lehman Brothers investment bank collapse in the United States. For VOA, Tom Rivers in London reports. A man reaches out for a copy of an evening newspaper wi...
Lebanon's top political leaders are meeting at the presidential palace in a bid to reach a national reconciliation pact among feuding factions. Attempts to get the pro-Iranian Hezbollah to disarm, however, are threatening to derail the talks, as Edw...
U.S. President George Bush is getting a first hand look at the damage inflicted on his home state of Texas by Hurricane Ike. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports that the president traveled Tuesday to areas hardest hit by the storm. Marine One, with Presiden...
Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says he has enough support from lawmakers to bring down the government, a claim Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi denies. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins has more, from Jakarta. Malaysian opposition leader An...
Bolivian troops have arrested an opposition governor accused of leading attacks that killed at least 15 government supporters. In Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports that unrest in Bolivia has prompted U.S. officials to withdraw aid workers from the c...
