May 31, 2012
6 Year-Old Girl Youngest Contestant Ever in Spelling Bee
Can you spell “dirigible?” Six year-old Lori Anne Madison can — and her skills won her a spot as the youngest contestant ever to compete in the annual National Spelling Bee. 278 boys and girls from ages six to 15 competed in the first round near…
May 31, 2012
New York Transit System to Let Muslim, Sikh Workers to Wear Headcoverings
New York City's transit system will let Muslim and Sikh employees wear turbans and headscarves in public as part of a settlement of a federal lawsuit. Muslim and Sikh bus and subway workers sued the agency when it ruled after the September 11th…
May 31, 2012
US Imposes Duties on Chinese Wind Towers, Korean Washing Machines
The United States has imposed duties on imports of Chinese wind towers, accusing Beijing of unfairly subsidizing them. The U.S. Commerce Department said Wednesday that the United States will collect cash deposits from importers of Chinese wind…
May 29, 2012
UN envoy Kofi Annan set to meet Syria’s Bashar al-Assad
UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan is due to hold talks on Tuesday with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. Mr Annan's plan to end the country's conflict has been overshadowed by international revulsion at Friday's massacre in the Houla…
May 29, 2012
Bluefin tuna record Fukushima radioactivity
Pacific Bluefin tuna caught off the coast of California have been found to have radioactive contamination from last year's Fukushima nuclear accident. The fish would have picked up the pollution while swimming in Japanese waters, before then…
May 29, 2012
US Denies Sending Commandos to Spy on North Korea
U.S. military officials are rejecting a report suggesting that U.S. military commandos have been parachuting into North Korea to gather intelligence on Pyongyang's underground military installations. The Diplomat, a Tokyo-based political journal,…
May 29, 2012
Indian PM to Meet with Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets Tuesday with Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as he wraps up his three-day visit to strengthen trade and investment links between the two Asian neighbors. Prime Minister Singh met with Burmese…
May 29, 2012
Egyptians Torch Shafiq Headquarters as Election Results Trigger Violence
Egyptian demonstrators incensed that ousted leader Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister has advanced into a run-off presidential election have vandalized his main campaign office and set it on fire after officials confirmed the vote results.…
May 27, 2012
Suspected NATO Airstrike Kills 8 Afghan Civilians
Officials in eastern Afghanistan say a NATO airstrike has killed a family of eight. A government spokesman for Paktia province, Rohullah Samoon, tells VOA that a coalition airstrike late Saturday killed a man, his wife and six children in the…
May 27, 2012
Syrian Officials Deny Responsibililty for Houla Massacre
Syrian officials say Damascus is not responsible for the massacre in a village that killed at least 92 people, including dozens of children. A Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters in Damascus Sunday that anti-government gunmen carried out…