News for Wednesday, January 31, 2007
• Cuban TV Shows Ailing President Castro for First Time in Three Months Cuba's state television has broadcast the first images in three months of ailing President Fidel Castro.
• British Police Arrest Eight on Terrorism Charges British police say they have arrested eight people in the central city of Birmingham during early morning raids as part of an anti-terrorism operation.
• One Bank, Many Issues Involved in US-North Korea Financial Dispute U.S. and North Korean negotiators are back in Beijing this week, trying to resolve a financial dispute that halted talks on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons for more than a year. The immediate focus of the dispute is a small bank in Macau. But as VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul, the dispute has been decades in the making, and has ripple effects far beyond the one institution.
• Australia Denies Involvement in Plot to Kill Solomon Islands Leader Australian Prime Minister John Howard has denied an allegation that his government offered a bounty for the murder of his counterpart in the Solomon Islands. An Australian citizen has appeared in court in the Solomons charged with conspiring to assassinate Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, whose government is at odds with the government in Canberra. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.
• NBA: Arenas High Scorer as Wizards Beat Pistons Gilbert Arenas had 36 points and 11 assists to lead the Washington Wizards to a 104-99 win over the Detroit Pistons in National Basketball Association action Tuesday.
• Car Bombings in Baghdad Kill 7 Iraqi security officials say at least seven people were killed in a series of car bombings in Baghdad Wednesday.
• Report: Millions of Dollars Wasted in Iraq Rebuilding Projects An audit of Iraq reconstruction projects has found that millions of dollars have been squandered because of massive waste, fraud and abuse.
• Arroyo Vows to End Political Violence, But Critics Are Skeptical Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has pledged to end political violence that has claimed more than 800 lives since she took office in 2001. She spoke after a commission she created to probe the bloodshed reported that members of the military were behind most of the killings. Critics say Mrs. Arroyo has pledged to bring political violence to an end before, and nothing has happened. Douglas Bakshian reports from Manila.
• Seven Killed in Suspected Tamil Rebel Ambush Sri Lanka's military says a roadside bomb has killed six police officers and a civilian in the east of the country.
• Pakistan, Indonesia Urge Support for Middle East Peace Plan Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf is winning support from leaders of the Muslim world on a new plan for peace in the Middle East. Chad Bouchard reports from Jakarta, where Mr. Musharraf has been meeting with Indonesian leaders.
• Human Rights Watch Blasts Belarus for Closing Helsinki Committee Office A leading international human rights group is demanding that Belarus reverse a decision evicting the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, from its Minsk offices.
• Report: Gunmen in Madagascar Kill Bin Laden's Brother-In-Law Unidentified gunmen in Madagascar have reportedly killed a brother-in-law of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
• Major Changes Expected in Ukraine Foreign Policy Ukraine's pro-Western foreign minister, Boris Tarasyuk, has resigned after a two-month constitutional dispute over his post. VOA's Lisa McAdams in Moscow reports that analysts say the resignation could mean major changes in Ukraine's foreign policy.
• Nepal Promises More Political Representation for Madhesi Community Nepal's prime minister has promised to redraw constituencies to allow members of the Madhesi ethnic group better representation in an upcoming vote for a new constitution.
• Indonesia Launches New Bird Flu Campaign; Japan Confirms Third Outbreak Indonesia will start to enforce a ban on backyard poultry in Jakarta Thursday as part of efforts to prevent the spread of bird flu.
• UN Chief Gets First-Hand Look at Nairobi Slums U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has wrapped up his two-day visit to Kenya, where he had a first-hand look at the dire conditions of people living in one of the capital city's slums. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.
• Trial of Former Chad Leader Hissene Habre to Be Delayed 3 Years Senegalese authorities have announced that the trial of former Chadian leader Hissene Habre on charges of crimes against humanity will not take place for at least three years. Foreign Affairs Minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio said Tuesday the extra time is needed to organize the judicial process. Kari Barber reports from our West and Central Africa bureau in Dakar that prosecutors say the delay is unnecessary.
• As a Child, Barack Obama Wanted to be President U.S. Senator Barack Obama made it official a few weeks ago that he is running for the presidency in 2008.
• Aftermath of Sit-in Long Ago Still Reverberates Thursday, the first day of African-American History Month in the United States, is the anniversary of a modest, yet momentous, event that would energize black Americans' fight for civil rights.
• Senator Biden Enters Race for US Presidential Nomination Democratic U.S. Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware has announced he is seeking his party's 2008 presidential nomination.
• Reports: US Investigating Iranian Involvement in Karbala Attack U.S. media reports say the United States is investigating possible Iranian involvement in a recent attack in the Iraqi city of Karbala, in which five American soldiers were killed.
• Germany Issues Arrest Warrants Over Alleged CIA Kidnapping German prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for 13 people in connection with the alleged kidnapping of a German citizen by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
• Venezuelan Congress Grants Chavez Power to Rule by Decree Venezuela's Congress has granted President Hugo Chavez the power to rule by decree for 18 months.
• China, Cameroon Sign Economic Agreements China has signed a series of economic agreements with Cameroon, giving the African country more than $54 million in loans.
• Somali Lawmakers Elect New Parliament Speaker Somali lawmakers have elected a new speaker of parliament to replace one fired for negotiating with the recently-defeated Islamist movement.
• Bush Delivers Upbeat Assessment of US Economy President George Bush has delivered an upbeat assessment of the U.S. economy. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, the president went to New York's financial district Wednesday in an effort to focus attention on domestic issues as the war in Iraq drags down his public approval ratings.
• Russian Cabinet Gives Tentative Approval to Foreign Investments Bill The Russian government has given preliminary approval to legislation restricting foreign investment in strategic sectors of the country's economy such as oil and natural gas.
• Del Ponte: EU Should Delay Talks With Serbia Pending War Crimes Arrests The chief United Nations war crimes prosecutor again has urged the European Union not to resume talks on closer ties with Serbia, until that country arrests and extradites top fugitive war crimes suspects.
• US Expresses Concern About Iran's Treatment of Azeri Activists The United States has expressed concern about Iran's treatment of activists advocating cultural and linguistic rights for the Azeri minority in Iran.
• Bulgaria Moves to Charge Libyan Police Officers With Torture of Nurses Bulgaria has launched a judicial inquiry into the actions of 11 Libyan police officers suspected of torturing Bulgarian nurses charged with infecting Libyan children with the virus that causes AIDS.
• US Officials Downplay Reports on Possible Iranian Involvement in Attack in Iraq U.S. officials are downplaying media reports that Washington is investigating possible Iranian involvement in an attack in Iraq that killed five U.S. soldiers.
• US Economy Growing at 3.5 Percent Pace Figures released Wednesday show that the U.S. economy grew at a solid 3.5 percent pace in the fourth quarter of 2006. VOA's Barry Wood reports the Federal Reserve decides to hold interest rates steady.
• US Justice Department to Release Spy Program Documents The U.S. attorney general says he will release to lawmakers secret documents detailing the government's controversial domestic surveillance program.
• Bush: Adding More American Troops is Best Option for Iraq President Bush says he has examined all proposals for Iraq and that adding more American troops is his best option.
• War Crimes Court Prosecutor Urges EU to Keep Pressure on Serbia Swiss lawyer Carla del Ponte, who is chief prosecutor of the U.N. war crimes tribunal, said Wednesday she is concerned the European Union might resume talks with Serbia before the leading fugitives from the Balkan wars have been arrested. Del Ponte is leaving her post in September after eight years at the post. Teri Schultz reports from Brussels.