The U.S. Geological Survey says the new quake, which shook Haiti just after sunrise Wednesday, was centered about 35 miles northwest of the capital Port au Prince. It was the largest of more than 40 significant aftershocks following the January 12th quake. There have been no reports of injuries from the new quake. Meantime, relief efforts continue in the aftermath of last week's earthquake, which killed an estimated 200,000 people.

Republican candidate Scott Brown has won an upset victory in the race to fill the Massachusetts seat held for almost five decades by the late Democratic Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy.  Brown defeated Democratic candidate Martha Coakley by a margin of 52 to 47 percent, in what many analysts view as a serious setback for President Barack Obama and his legislative agenda. The victory caps a dramatic surge in opinion polls, in the past week for Massachusetts State Senator Scott Brown.  He overcame a commanding lead by state Attorney General Martha Coakely, to win the race in a state where Democr

A Vietnamese court has convicted four political dissidents of subversion and sentenced them to up to 16 years in prison. The four went on trial in Ho Chi Minh City Wednesday for taking part in "activities aimed at overthrowing the people's administration," including promoting a multiparty state and collaborating with exiled Vietnamese pro-democracy groups.  U.S.-educated human rights lawyer  Le Cong Dinh and Le Thang Long received five-year sentences after the one-day trial.  A third defendant, Nguyen Tien Trung, received a seven-year sentence, while Internet entrepreneur Tran Huynh Duy

An official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says the regional body is ready to help Guinea organize a credible election within the next six months. ECOWAS Political Director Abdel-Fatau Musah said the regional body will provide financial and technical assistance to ensure Guinea’s upcoming election meets international standards. “ECOWAS right from the beginning has been very supportive…under ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol and Democracy and Good Governance, ECOWAS is obligated to assist member states organizing elections … ECOWAS already had advanced an amount of

At least six people have been killed in fighting among Somali pirates over a record ransom paid for a hijacked ship. Witnesses say at least four people were killed and several others were wounded Monday as pirates battled in the town of Harardhere. In addition, two pirates were killed Sunday when rival pirate gangs clashed on the hijacked ship, the MV Maran Centaurus. Harardhere was calm Tuesday after local elders mediated between factions of pirates. The pirates received between $5 and $7 million to free the Greek-flagged oil tanker and its 28 crew members on Monday. P

Pakistani intelligence officials say missiles fired by a suspected U.S. drone (pilotless aircraft) killed at least five militants Tuesday in the country's northwest tribal region. The officials say the drone fired two missiles at a compound and a vehicle in a village about 30 kilometers west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, and just south of the Afghan border. There have been at least 11 suspected attacks by U.S.

Guinea’s opposition coalition-chosen prime minister said he will soon name a cabinet that will work towards organizing the general election scheduled to be held within the next six months. Jean-Marie Dore said he is waiting to meet with interim military junta leader General Sekouba Konate before naming his government. “I am waiting the arrival of General Konate to take the act of nomination, and during the next days the government will be formed and we will start work,” he said. Dore is the leader of the opposition Union for the Progress of Guinea (UPG) party.

Exit polls announced within minutes after elections ended in Ukraine indicate the country's current and former prime ministers will emerge from a field of 18 candidates to face one another in a run-off in three weeks.  Incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko appears out of the running with a reported fifth-place finish. An exit poll conducted by Kyiv's Razumkov Center shows Viktor Yanukovych, who was accused of rigging the 2004 election, has garnered more than 31 percent of the vote.  Yulia Tymoshenko, the current head of government, has more than 27 percent, a bit higher than expected.  Incu

A record ransom payment has secured the release of a massive oil tanker seized in November by Somali pirates.  Piracy attacks off the coast of Somalia nearly doubled in 2009 from the previous year. The Maran Centaurus was the second-largest vessel ever captured and was carrying an estimated $2 million barrels of oil. The pirates claim they received $5.5 million for the ship's freedom, but a separate figure places the amount dropped on the ship at $7 million.  Both are believed to exceed any previous figure paid to the Somali sea bandits. Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based East Africa