News for Saturday, January 27, 2007
• Militants Wore US-Style Uniforms in Karbala, Iraq Attack and Abduction No summary available.
• Double Car Bombing Kills 13 People in Baghdad Iraqi authorities say two car bombs have exploded in a commercial area in eastern Baghdad, killing at least 13 people and wounding more than 40 others.
• Two Dead in Latest Palestinian Factional Fighting in Gaza Violence continued Saturday in the Gaza Strip between the two main Palestinian factions, a day after fighting led to the suspension of talks aimed at forming a unity government.
• President Bush and Democrats Spar on Iraq Troop Issue Tens of thousands of Iraq war protesters are expected to take part in a rally in Washington Saturday to protest President Bush's strategy.
• UN Chief in Democratic Republic of Congo to Support Democracy, Peacekeepers U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is in the Democratic Republic of Congo to show support for the country's fledgling democracy and boost the morale of U.N. peacekeepers stabilizing the nation.
• Thousands Expected in Washington to Protest War in Iraq Thousands of protesters are gathering on the National Mall in Washington to urge the withdrawal of U.S. forces in Iraq.
• Canada Apologizes for Role in US Rendition of Syrian-Canadian Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his government will pay nearly $9 million to a Syrian-born citizen detained and deported by the United States after he was wrongly identified as a suspected terrorist.
• Sri Lankan Navy Sinks Three Tamil Tiger Boats Sri Lankan officials say the navy sank three Tamil Tiger rebel boats Saturday near the main port of Colombo.
• Key Trading Nations Agree to Resume Talks Ministers from about 30 of the world's major trading nations have agreed to resume global trade talks.
• North Korea Denies Nuclear Cooperation With Iran North Korea is dismissing speculation in Western media that it is secretly helping Iran to develop a nuclear weapons capability.
• Guinea Union Leaders in Talks with President to End Strike Union leaders in Guinea are negotiating with President Lansana Conte on terms for ending a two-week strike that has paralyzed the country and led to violent clashes with police. The president agreed Friday to delegate significant powers to a new prime minister, one of the unions' key demands. Phuong Tran reports from VOA's West Africa bureau in Dakar.
• Bush Says He Looks Forward to Bipartisan Work on Energy, Healthcare President Bush says he looks forward to working with both political parties to reform America's healthcare system and increase the nation's security.
• Iran Says It Is Installing 3,000 More Centrifuges A senior Iranian lawmaker says his country has begun installing 3,000 centrifuges to speed up its controversial nuclear program.
• Russia Upset with US Over Mideast Policies Russia's foreign minister says he plans to demand an explanation from the United States over its growing military presence in the Middle East.
• Pelosi, Musharraf Meet in Pakistan The new speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives has met in Islamabad with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.
• Pakistan Explosion Kills 11 People Pakistani officials say an explosion near a Shi'ite mosque in Peshawar has killed at least 11 people.
• World Events Mark Holocaust Memorial Day Events commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day are taking place around the world 62 years after the Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
• Officials Seek to Ensure Safety of Chinese Food Exported to Hong Kong The Hong Kong government has recently lifted a ban on Chinese eggs, after the mainland improved its food safety controls. There has been a series of safety scares in the past several months over food from the mainland, where most of what Hong Kong eats comes from. VOA's Heda Bayron has this report, prepared by Juliet Ye in Hong Kong.
• Nigerians React Angrily to Execution of Nigerian in Singapore Singapore's execution of a Nigerian convicted of drug trafficking has provoked some angry reactions in Nigeria. Gilbert da Costa in Abuja reports for VOA, Nigerians are particularly upset that even their president's intervention could not save the young Nigerian.
• Japanese Authorities Confirm H5N1 Bird Flu Outbreak Japanese authorities have confirmed that a bird flu outbreak in the country's south was caused by the deadly H5N1 virus.
• Chad to Withdraw From African Union If Sudan Assumes Presidency A high-ranking official from Chad says the central African nation will withdraw from the African Union (AU) if Sudan assumes the organization's revolving presidency.