News for Monday, February 5, 2007
• 2 Senior Members of al-Sadr's Movement Killed in Iraq Iraqi officials say two senior members of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's movement have been killed in separate incidents.
• India's Tata Steel Wins Bid for European Steelmaker Corus India's Tata Steel has bought a European steel maker, and Japan's Sony Corporation has raised its net profit forecast. Claudia Blume in Hong Kong has more on these and other stories in our weekly summary of Asian business news.
• No Injuries in Bombing in Basque Area Train Station Authorities in Spain say a bomb has exploded in a train station in the Basque region of the country. No injuries are reported.
• Former Malaysian PM Condemns Bush, Blair as 'War Criminals' A former Malaysian leader has condemned British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President George W. Bush as "child killers" and "war criminals."
• French Police Arrest 13 Turkish Kurds on Terrorism Financing Charges Authorities in France say they have arrested 13 Turkish Kurds on suspicion of helping to finance terrorism.
• Bangladesh's Interim Administration Makes High Profile Arrests Authorities in Bangladesh have made a series of high profile arrests as part of a crackdown on corruption by the country's new interim administration. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, a new election commissioner has also taken charge to organize new polls in the country, where controversial general elections were postponed recently.
• Burkina Faso Launches Mediation Attempt for Ivory Coast High-level rebel and presidential delegations from divided Ivory Coast have started meetings in Burkina Faso in a renewed attempt to end more than four years of stalled negotiations. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Dakar.
• Congo Opposition Calls for Day of Mourning Opposition leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo have called for a national day of mourning to protest violent clashes last week. Many protesters demonstrating against election-fraud allegations were killed when security forces fired on rioting crowds in several villages. Kari Barber reports from our West and Central Africa bureau in Dakar with additional reporting by Eddie Isango in Kinshasa.
• Thousands Mark Venezuela Coup Attempt Anniversary Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets Sunday to mark the 15th anniversary of a failed 1992 coup led by Hugo Chavez, who was then an army colonel.
• New Palestinian Truce Takes Hold Ahead of Unity Talks Another ceasefire between Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip took hold on Monday - before talks scheduled for Tuesday in Saudi Arabia between the leaders of the Hamas and Fatah factions. VOA's Jim Teeple reports from Jerusalem, key figures in both factions say they are confident the talks will lead to a unity Palestinian government.
• Diplomats, Rights Advocates Meet in Paris to Fight Use of Child Soldiers Child-rights advocates and diplomats from 60 countries are meeting in Paris to discuss new ways to fight the use of children as soldiers. Lisa Bryant has more for VOA from the French capital.
• Russia, Japan Ban British Poultry Imports After Bird Flu Outbreak Russia and Japan have imposed bans on British poultry products, after an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu at a turkey farm in eastern England last week.
• Nigerian Militant in Court for Treason A detained Nigerian militant leader, whose release is a key demand of groups responsible for most of the recent violence in the oil-rich Niger Delta, has appeared in court to face treason charges. Gilbert da Costa reports from Abuja the Nigerian government is under strong pressure to release Dokubo-Asari to ease tensions in the region.
• China Stops AIDS Campaigner from Traveling to US to Accept Award Chinese officials have placed a prominent, veteran HIV/AIDS campaigner under house arrest, preventing her from traveling to the U.S. to accept a human rights award. Gao Yaojie, a retired doctor in her 80s, exposed government-supported blood-buying programs in Henan province that led to thousands being infected with HIV. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.
• Britain Satisfied With Tactics to Combat Bird Flu Britain's quick response to its first mass outbreak of the deadly Asian variety of bird flu seems to be working. That is the assessment of the country's environment secretary, as Tom Rivers reports for VOA from London.
• US Budget Plan Would Cut Most VOA English Radio Programs The new U.S. budget proposal would eliminate most Voice of America English broadcasts, as well as radio programs in 12 other languages.
• US Budget Includes Funding to Fight HIV-AIDS, Malaria The proposed U.S. budget for fiscal year 2008 includes money for fighting malaria and HIV and to support democratic programs abroad.
• Nuclear Experts: Iran Links Underground Centrifuges International nuclear experts say Iran has linked up two more sets of centrifuges at its Natanz nuclear plant, this time underground.
• Defense Is More Than 20 Percent of Bush's 2008 Budget More than 20 percent of next year's budget that President Bush presented to the Congress Monday is defense spending, some $623 billion. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon on what the Defense Department plans to do with all that money.
• Media Group Names Iraq as Most Dangerous Place for Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists says 55 journalists were killed last year in direct connection with their work. This finding is highlighted in the group's just-released annual report, called Attacks on the Press in 2006. VOA's Stephanie Ho has more from Washington.
• Russia's Living Standard Up, Driven by High Oil Revenues A leading Russian economist said Monday Russia's economic resurgence is driven by its booming energy sector. VOA's Barry Wood has more.
• Court-Martial Begins for War-Resisting Soldier A U.S. army officer faces up to four years in prison for refusing to deploy with his unit to Iraq, and for publicly criticizing the U.S.-led war in Iraq. VOA's Mike O'Sullivan reports the court-martial of First Lieutenant Ehren Watada, which started Monday at Fort Lewis, Washington, pits the right to free speech against the need for military discipline.
• Polish Defense Minister Resigns in Rift With Kaczynskis Polish Defense Minister Radek Sikorski has resigned, apparently as the result of a political feud with President Lech Kaczynski and his twin brother, Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski.
• Ban's UN Reorganization Plan Hits Snag Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's opening attempt to reorganize the U.N. bureaucracy is running into stiff resistance from developing countries. VOA's correspondent at the U.N. Peter Heinlein reports Mr. Ban's restructuring proposal has thrust him into the middle of a simmering power struggle.
• Ukraine Protests US Plans to Build Missile Defense Sites in Europe Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Mykola Azarov says U.S. plans to build a missile defense system in central Europe are a threat to Ukraine.