News for Friday, January 12, 2007
• Explosion at US Embassy Compound in Athens U.S. officials say there has been a powerful explosion inside the U.S. embassy compound in Athens.
• Attorney Accuses Russia of Using Energy as a Political Weapon A Canadian attorney who represented the former chief executive officer of the Russian oil company YUKOS, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, says his client was the victim of a plot by Moscow to increase its political influence worldwide using energy resources and infrastructure. VOA's Greg Flakus has more from Houston.
• Southeast Asian Nations and Partners Focus on Development Southeast Asian governments attending an annual meeting in the Philippines are pushing for faster economic growth in the less-developed countries of the region. VOA's Heda Bayron reports from Cebu, where Asian leaders are gathering for a regional summit.
• Historic Cebu Hosts ASEAN Summit Explorers, presidents, silk, spices and controversy are all part of the rich heritage of Cebu, a Philippine island province. For the next few days, it is being overrun by delegates to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, but Cebu has been at the crossroads of history for some time. Douglas Bakshian reports from Cebu.
• South Korea Rules Out Key Discussions in US Free Trade Talks With only days to go before the start of crucial free trade discussions with the United States, South Korea says it will not talk about several issues of key concern to Washington. Seoul says U.S. negotiators have not made satisfactory progress on addressing South Korean concerns. As VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul, the move may make already shaky prospects for a trade liberalization deal even more challenging.
• Pakistan Rejects US Assertion of New Al-Qaida Headquarters Pakistani officials sharply reject U.S. comments alleging al-Qaida has re-established its global headquarters in Pakistan. The U.S. intelligence chief, John Negroponte, said the terrorist group has established a secure hideout in Pakistan. VOA correspondent Benjamin Sand has more from Islamabad.
• Congolese Mourn Politically-Charged Cardinal Citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo are mourning the death of Cardinal Frédéric Etsou-Nzabi-Bamungwabi, the country's top Roman Catholic prelate. Cardinal Etsou died on January 6 of pneumonia in Belgium. As his body was returned for a scheduled burial in the Congo on Monday, mourners remembered him as a religious and political leader. Kari Barber has this report from our West Africa regional bureau.
• Somali Government Reaches Accord with Warlords Somalia's interim government has reached an agreement with clan warlords to disarm their militias and join a new national army.
• Afghan Officials say Suicide Bomber Attacks Convoy of Foreigners Officials in Afghanistan say a suicide bomber has attacked a convoy of foreigners south of the capital, Kabul.
• Bush Administration Defending New Iraq Policy U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is facing more questions about President Bush's plan to send an additional 20,000 troops to Iraq as he testifies before Congress Friday.
• Iraqi FM: Liaison Office Raided in Thursday's Operation in Irbil Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari says the building targeted in a U.S. raid early Thursday was a liaison office that was in the process of becoming an Iranian consulate.
• Nomadic Herdsmen Innocent Targets of Boming in Somalia, Says OXFAM The relief organization OXFAM says nomadic herdsmen have been innocent targets of bombing in the south of the country. Beatrice Karanja, a spokesperson for OXFAM in Nairobi, tells VOA the bombings have affected some of the agency’s humanitarian water and sanitation programs.
• Bangladesh Swears in Former Central Bank Governor as New Interim Leader Bangladesh's President Iajuddin Ahmed has named the country's former central bank governor to succeed him as the chief of the interim administration.
• Nigeria Investigates New Suspected Cases of Bird Flu Nigerian officials are investigating a suspected fresh outbreak of avian influenza in two northern states. Gilbert da Costa reports for VOA from Abuja that thousands of birds have been culled to prevent the virus from spreading.
• Germany's Highest Court Rejects Appeal of Convicted 9/11 Accomplice Germany's highest court has refused to hear an appeal to overturn the conviction of a Moroccan friend of the September 11, 2001 hijackers who has been sentenced to 15 years in prison as an accessory to mass murder.
• 16 Killed in Indonesia Landslide A landslide triggered by heavy rains has barreled into a village in northeastern Indonesia, killing at least 16 people and leaving 13 others missing.
• Uganda Rebels Leave Peace Talks, Seek Change of Venue Ugandan rebels have pulled out of peace talks with the government, saying they want the talks moved to a new site.
• Blair Warns Britons Against Isolationism British Prime Minister Tony Blair says his country's influence on the world stage depends on active engagement and said Britain cannot defend itself from terrorism by retreating into isolationism.
• US Pushes For Free and Fair Vote Amid Political Upheaval in Bangladesh The U.S. government says it believes that holding free, fair and fully participatory elections as soon as possible is the best solution for Bangladesh.
• Polls Show Public Disapproval of Iraq Policy Several news polls show the American public mostly disapproves of President Bush's policy in Iraq.
• Chavez Promises Oil Refinery for Nicaragua Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says his country will build an oil refinery in energy-starved Nicaragua.
• Dead Man Found in Wheel Well of Plane from Senegal Officials at a southern U.S. airport say they have found a man's body in the wheel well of an airliner that had just arrived from Africa.
• China Cracks Down on Power Companies Over Pollution China's top environmental watchdog agency has ordered four leading energy companies to halt all new projects after they failed to meet environmental standards.
• Israel' Ruling Kadima Party Plummets in New Poll A new poll in Israel shows that the popularity of the ruling Kadima party has hit an all time low since it won a landslide victory 10 months ago. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, Israel's embattled prime minister is taking the heat over the war in Lebanon, fought in July and August of last year.
• South Korean Hostages Freed in Nigeria A Nigerian government spokesman says nine South Koreans taken hostage by Nigerian militants Wednesday have been freed.
• WHO Official Says Recent Bird Flu Cases a Reminder of Threat A top World Health Organization official says a recent string of human bird flu cases from the Middle East to Asia is a new warning of the threat the virus still poses.
• EU Foreign Policy Chief Calls for Mideast Progress Within Six Months The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, says the group will do everything it can to get the Middle East peace process moving in the next six months.
• Iran's President Begins Tour of Latin American Nations Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad begins a Latin American tour Saturday that will include stops in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador. The Iranian leader already has strong ties with Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, a vocal critic of the United States. From Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports the trip shows that Mr. Ahmadinejad is seeking more allies in the region.
• Ex-Argentine President Isabel Peron Arrested in Spain Former Argentine President Isabel Peron has been arrested at her home in Madrid as part of a probe into the disappearance of a political activist during her tenure in the mid-1970s.
• New Signs of Life In Doha Trade Round A top U.S. trade official says she is hopeful that long-stalled talks on a global free trade agreement can be revived. The official, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, spoke to reporters after meeting Friday with the director general of World Trade Organization. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from WTO headquarters in Geneva.
• Report: Basic Healthcare Could Save Lives of 800,000 African Newborns Each Year International health experts have released a new report saying that basic healthcare, such as regular checkups before and after birth, as well as community-based programs could save the lives of nearly 800,000 newborns in Africa each year. VOA's Sean Maroney reports from Washington.
• Russia, China Veto UN Resolution on Burma Russia and China have vetoed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would have urged Burma to ease repression and release political prisoners. VOA correspondent at the U.N. Peter Heinlein reports newly-elected Council member South Africa also voted against the measure.