News for Friday, May 20, 2005
• Japan Records Second Straight Quarter of Economic Growth Japan's gross domestic product rose one-point-three-percent after adjustments for inflation in the first three months of this year.
• Russians Take Alleged Oil-for-Food Graft in Stride The scandal concerning the United Nations' oil-for-food program in Iraq has been under investigation for some time and stretches in a web through many countries. Caught in the web, according to a U.S. Senate panel investigating the program, were several prominent Russian politicians. The scandal is not sending any shockwaves through the Russian establishment.
• Pinochet Released from Chile Hospital Hospital officials in Chile say former dictator Augusto Pinochet has been released from a hospital in Santiago after being treated for a mild stroke.
• US Investigating Source of Unauthorized Saddam Photos The U.S. military says it is investigating the source of photographs published Friday, that show Saddam Hussein in his prison cell in Iraq.
• Annan: Uzbek Leader Rejects International Probe U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says Uzbekistan has rejected calls for an international investigation into last week's deadly clashes in the Central Asian country.
• US Support for Khmer Rouge Tribunal Depends on International Standards Cambodia observed a moment of silence Friday to remember the brutal reign of the Khmer Rouge. Even though more than 25 years have elapsed since the ouster of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia is only now beginning the process of trying those responsible for Cambodia's killing fields. A senior U.S. diplomat is urging the Cambodian government and the United Nations to uphold international standards in selecting judges for a tribunal.
• Scientist Examines Singing Life of Birds After a massive bird hunt, a research team from Cornell University reported last month they had sighted an Ivory-billed Woodpecker -- a stately bird many experts believed had become extinct. But one scientist wants more proof. He wants to hear the bird sing.
• US Army Report Details Afghan Prisoner Abuse A U.S. newspaper report says a confidential U.S. Army document details widespread abuse of Afghan detainees by American soldiers.
• 3 Years After Independence, Future Looks Bright for East Timor East Timor is celebrating the third anniversary of its independence, Friday. The tiny nation has had its difficulties with the legacies of Indonesian rule and trying to kick-start the economy, but recent developments have given the country a brighter future. As a mark of its new maturity, United Nations peacekeepers have left.
• Israeli-Palestinian Clash in Gaza Kills 1 Militant Israel forces say they killed a Palestinian militant in the Gaza Strip during a gunbattle early Friday.
• Rights Group Blasts China for 10-Year Prison Sentence of Dissident Writer A human rights group has blasted China for a 10-year prison sentence handed down to a journalist charged with releasing state secrets related to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
• Bob Dole Recounts Life Story Bob Dole has spent half a century in the public eye, as a Republican Congressman, Senator, Presidential candidate, and advocate for military veterans and the disabled. Now he has published a best selling memoir focusing on the years that shaped both his character and the causes he has championed. In One Soldier's Story, Mr. Dole recalls his youth growing up in the rural Midwest, and the World War II injury that changed his life.
• Counterfeit Movies, CDs, and Optical Disks are Big Business in Russia U.S. lawmakers and business leaders have strong words for Russia over its failure to combat the theft and counterfeiting of copyrighted and trademarked U.S. products. VOA's Victoria Cavaliere reports that U.S. officials say Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization hinges on its commitment to fighting intellectual property theft.
• US Drug Companies Search for New Pain Treatments The fight against pain is being waged on many fronts in the U.S. As Amy Katz reports, pain management as a medical specialty is growing, while drug companies are searching for new medicines to treat chronic and recurrent pain.
• US Condemns Unauthorized Saddam Photos The U.S. military has condemned the publication of unauthorized photographs Friday that show Saddam Hussein in his prison cell in Iraq.
• Togo Opposition Leader Treated for Illness in Paris Reports say Togo's leading opposition candidate, who lost disputed presidential elections, has been flown to Paris for treatment of a serious illness.
• Hariri's Son Pushing for Electoral Sweep in Beirut Friday is the final day for registered candidates to withdraw from the parliamentary elections in Lebanon due to begin on May 29. As many candidates withdraw, some parliament seats have become uncontested and have already been declared for the remaining candidate.
• Ivory Coast UN Chief Optimistic About Peace Process The chief of the United Nations mission in divided Ivory Coast says he believes the drawn-out peace process there could finally work despite new challenges. Rebels recently dismissed a new deal for the start of disarmament, while preparations for a scheduled presidential election later this year are lagging.
• NBA: Spurs, Pistons Advance to Conference Finals The Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs have advanced to the semifinals of the National Basketball Association playoffs with victories late Thursday.
• Iraqi PM to Discuss Insurgent Infiltrations with Syria Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari says he will send a delegation to Syria soon to seek help in stopping what he said is infiltration by insurgents crossing from Syria into Iraq.
• Ethiopia to Hold New Election at 6 Stations Ethiopia's National Electoral Board has announced that it plans to hold a new election this weekend at six polling stations where irregularities were reported during Sunday's vote.
• Tennis: Federer, Davenport Top Seeds for French Open World No.1 tennis player Roger Federer of Switzerland has received a favorable draw for next week's French Open as he aims to become only the sixth man to win all four Grand Slam tournaments.
• WFP Renews Aid Appeal for Niger, Mali The World Food Program is renewing an appeal for $14 million to feed about one million hungry, destitute people in Mali and Niger. The WFP says both countries are suffering severe food shortages because of a locust invasion and drought.
• Ethiopian Electoral Board Plans Revote in Six Constituencies Sunday Ethiopia’s election board says it will hold new elections at six polling stations where there were irregularities during Sunday’s parliamentary poll.
• Pettachi Wins Giro's 12th Stage; Basso in Pink Italian cyclist Alessandro Pettachi has won the 12th stage of the Tour of Italy in a mass sprint finish, but Ivan Basso remains the overall leader.
• Kim Resigns From IOC Post Disgraced South Korean businessman Kim Un-yong has resigned from the International Olympic Committee after being jailed on corruption charges. The IOC announced Kim's resignation Friday.
• Somalia Disappointed Over Peacekeeping Delays The Somali government says it intends to go ahead with its relocation plans from Kenya to Somalia despite an apparent lack of a regional peacekeeping force to bring stability and order to the country.
• Bush, Putin Reaffirm Relationship President Bush's recent trip to Moscow is sparking renewed discussion about relations between the United States and Russia. In this report from Washington, VOA Senior Correspondent André de Nesnera looks at the current state of relations between Washington and Moscow.
• Omaha Pulls Together to Help Sudanese Sudanese refugees began to funnel into Nebraska a decade ago… part of a massive international refugee resettlement program. More than half the state's Sudanese population of about 10,000 live in Omaha, making the city perhaps the largest concentration of Sudanese in the United States.
• Pentagon Probes Release of Saddam Photos New York Post cover, Friday" hspace=2 src="/english/images/new_york_post_saddam_cover_210.jpg" width=210 vspace=2 border=0> The U.S. Defense Department says it did not orchestrate the release of photos of Saddam Hussein in jail, wearing only underpants in one picture, and is investigating how the shots were taken and published.
• Bush Vows to Veto Stem Cell Bill President Bush says he will veto legislation that would relax restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. There is growing bipartisan support in Congress for changing those rules.
• UN's Annan says Uzbek President Rejects Call For International Probe of Violence U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says Uzbekistan's president Islam Karimov has rejected calls for an international investigation into last week's deadly clashes in his country. Human rights experts are seeking a first-hand account of the circumstances of the violence.
• Anti-US Protests Continue in Several Countries Over Alleged Koran Desecration New anti-U.S. protests are reported in several countries, sparked by allegations U.S. military interrogators desecrated the Koran.
• US Attorney General Promises to Safeguard Civil Liberties No summary available.
• Koran Story Highlights Pentagon-Media Problem The now-discredited Newsweek Magazine report about desecration of the Koran by U.S. interrogators at the Guantanamo detention center has sparked much discussion of the credibility of the media and the government's ability to get its side of stories heard. It is an issue that has been on the mind of U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for a long time.
• Book: Iran's Nuclear Program Could Lead to Confrontation Iran's nuclear program, combined with its efforts to develop long-range ballistic missiles, could create the serious threat of a potential military confrontation involving Tehran, the United States and Israel. In a new book, Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, details Iran's military capabilities and its efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction.
• Rice Criticizes Alleged Syrian Support for Terrorists in Iraq Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has sharpened U.S. criticism of alleged Syrian support for the Iraqi insurgency, saying the Damascus government is out of step with the rest of the region. She held talks Friday with Iraq's planning minister, Barham Salih, who said former dictator Saddam Hussein could face trial within a few months.
• Rice Presses Uzbekistan to Allow Probe of Deadly Clashes Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Friday raised the prospect of a further cut in U.S. aid to Uzbekistan if the government of President Islam Karimov continues to resist calls for an investigation of last week's Uzbek political unrest. The United States and other countries have called for a credible probe of the violence that includes international involvement.
• Perry Leads Colonial by Three Strokes American golfer Kenny Perry had a 7-under-par 63 to take a three-stroke lead over countrymen D.J. Trahan and Ted Purdy after the second round of the Bank of America Colonial golf tournament in Forth Worth, Texas.
• LPGA Golf: Four-Way Tie at Sybase Classic Korean American Christina Kim is tied with South Korea's Joo Mi Kim and Gloria Park and American teenager Paula Creamer after the second round of the Sybase Classic LPGA golf tournament in New Rochelle, New York.
• US Denies Cutting Off Food Aid to North Korea The Bush administration Friday denied a news report it had halted food-aid shipments to North Korea and may not provide any such assistance this year. The State Department said further contributions are under consideration.
• International Cancer Conference Focuses on Shared Knowledge Doctors and researchers from 17 cancer organizations in 11 countries are in Houston for the first annual Sister Institution Conference at The University of Texas Medical Center's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The goal is to share knowledge and technology in an effort to fight the various forms of cancer worldwide.
• Some US Congress Members Demand Reforms at United Nations Some members of the U.S. Congress continue to demand reforms at the United Nations, following reports of corruption by U.N. staff and sexual abuse by peacekeepers. Some say the United States should consider halting funds for the world body unless changes are made.
• South Korea Made Major Medical Breakthrough in Stem Cell Research Scientists in South Korea have made a major medical breakthrough in stem cell research. They have created the first human cells that are customized to specific patients.
• Unauthorized Photographs of Saddam Hussein Released The U.S. military has launched an investigation into how Western newspapers obtained unauthorized photographs of Saddam Hussein in his prison cell.
• Togo Opposition Leader Treated for Illness in Paris Togolese opposition leader Emmanuel Akitani-Bob is in Paris, undergoing medical checks and treatment. aides deny that Mr. Akitani-Bob, who placed second in Togo's presidential elections, is in critical condition.