News for Thursday, February 8, 2007
• North Korea: Ready to Discuss 'First Steps' on Ending Nuclear Weapons No summary available.
• Violence Across Iraq Kills 28, Top Health Ministry Official Detained Iraqi security officials say at least 28 people were killed and scores wounded in a series of attacks across the country Thursday.
• China Says Fast Growth of Internet Use Makes Online Copyright Protection Difficult A Chinese official has reported progress in cracking down on the illegal downloading of movies, music and software from the Internet. But he says the country's fast-growing use of the Internet has made fighting online piracy difficult. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.
• Nepal's PM Promises More Representation From Southern Plains Nepal's government has promised to give people from the southern plains a greater role in shaping the country's future. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the move follows protests in which more than 20 people have died in the past three weeks in the tiny Himalayan country.
• Iranian Envoy in Moscow For Talks on Nuclear Standoff A top Iranian envoy is holding talks with senior Russian officials in Moscow on ways to resolve Iran's nuclear standoff with the West.
• Pakistani Film Industry Fights for Survival Pakistan and India might have their long-held differences, but Pakistani moviegoers prefer the productions of India's "Bollywood" moviemakers to those of their own filmmakers. As a result, Pakistani producers say their industry is in critical condition, and unless the government steps in, it could disappear altogether. VOA Correspondent Benjamin Sand reports from Islamabad.
• Khamenei: If Attacked, Iran Will Strike US Interests Worldwide Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says if attacked by the United States, Iran will respond by striking U.S. interests all over the world.
• Progress Reported at Palestinian Reconciliation Talks Progress is being reported at talks in Saudi Arabia between the rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah on forming a unity government and ending violence between the two groups.
• EU to Streamline Cross-Border Rules for Online Shopping The European Commission has unveiled plans to overhaul the European Union's rules on consumer protection to increase confidence in online shopping and boost cross-border sales.
• Kashmiri Gunmen Kill Pro-India Politician Who Was Once a Rebel Commander Police in Indian Kashmir say gunmen have killed a pro-India politician who was once a Muslim rebel commander.
• French President Chirac Hints at Departure from Politics French President Jacques Chirac has signaled he will probably not seek an unprecedented third term in this year's presidential elections.
• Bolivian President Strikes Deal with Miners to End Protest Bolivian President Evo Morales has reached an agreement with independent miners who marched on the capital of La Paz to protest a planned tax increase.
• Nigerian Parties Resolve to Curb Violence Political parties in Nigeria have signed a code of conduct, in an effort to curb political violence before elections in April. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa in Abuja reports political violence has emerged as the foremost threat to Nigeria's emerging democracy.
• Prosecution Wrapping Up in CIA Leak Trial The prosecution in the perjury trial of former White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby could finish Thursday, with a second day of testimony from a television journalist who contradicted Libby's statements.
• Russia's Defense Minister Unveils Plans to Overhaul Military Russia has unveiled plans to replace nearly half the army's hardware by 2015. Welcomed by some as a long-overdue necessity, others question whether the plan can really be carried out. VOA's Lisa McAdams in Moscow reports.
• Venezuela's Ambassador to Cuba Says Castro's Health Improving Venezuela's ambassador to Cuba says President Fidel Castro is eating again and his health has significantly improved since intestinal surgery last year.
• Two More Kidnappings Confirmed in Nigeria's Troubled Delta A French man and a woman from the Philippines are the latest foreign nationals to be abducted by armed groups in Nigeria's oil-rich, but troubled, Niger River Delta region. Sarah Simpson reports from Lagos.
• Spain-Bound Migrants Stuck at Sea in International Dispute Humanitarian agencies say there is growing concern about the plight of hundreds of migrants stranded off the Mauritanian coast for nearly a week. Officials there have refused to allow the disabled boat ashore and negotiations continue to determine where the Canary Islands-bound migrants will go. Jordan Davis reports from VOA's regional bureau in Dakar.
• Olmert Rejects Peretz Appeal to Halt Jerusalem Dig Media reports in Israel say Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has rejected an appeal from his defense minister to halt repair work near Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque.
• China's President in Mozambique as African Tour Nears End Chinese President Hu Jintao is in Mozambique where he is expected to sign a series of bilateral agreements with his counterpart, Armando Guebuza.
• Officials Expect 2006 Winter Olympics to Lose Money It appears the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, will end up with a loss. Other recent Olympics have turned profits.
• Russia Urges Negotiated Solution to Nuclear Standoff with Iran Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed hope for a negotiated solution to the standoff over Iran's nuclear program.
• US Presses NATO for More Troops in Afghanistan The United States is pressuring NATO allies to send more troops to confront Taleban militants in Afghanistan in the coming months.
• Italy Approves Only Six Soccer Stadiums for Public Attendance Italian security and sports officials have decided that only six stadiums in the country meet security standards and that professional soccer games at stadiums considered unsafe will not be open to the public. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome
• Palestinian Factions Agree to Unity Government Rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah have signed an agreement on forming a unity government, in an effort to end factional violence and crippling international sanctions.
• Croatian Court Resumes War Crimes Probe Against Lawmaker A court in Croatia has decided to resume its probe of a lawmaker suspected of war crimes during the 1990s Balkan conflict after determining he is fit to face further proceedings.
• India Optimistic Gas Deal With Iran Moving Forward A deal that has been in the works for years to send natural gas from Iran to India through Pakistan is moving forward, with an agreement anticipated within months. However, some early supporters are questioning whether the time has passed for the proposed pipeline, which also faces opposition from the United States. VOA's Steve Herman in New Delhi reports.
• Film Musical Dreamgirls Scores Eight Oscar Nominations Leading in Oscar nominations, the film Dreamgirls is based on the classic Broadway production of the same title. Acclaimed filmmaker Bill Condon has created an impressive musical with a stellar cast, great visuals and soulful sound.
• Former Playboy Model Anna Nicole Smith Dead at 39 Police in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida say former stripper and Playboy magazine model Anna Nicole Smith has died at age 39.
• NATO Defense Ministers Resist US Pressure to Send More Troops to Afghanistan No summary available.
• US Not Worried About China's Growing Presence in Africa A U.S. official says Washington is not worried about China's expanding presence in Africa, but hopes Beijing expands its interests on the continent in a way that, in his words, "supports and reinforces international norms." His comments come as China's President Hu Jintao winds up a nine-country Africa trip. VOA's Stephanie Ho reports from Washington.
• Senior Official in Somali Islamist Movement Arrives in Yemen A senior leader of Somalia's defeated Islamist movement has arrived in Yemen.
• Former Lebanese President Says UN Tribunal Non-Negotiable Former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel says an international tribunal to prosecute suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is "non-negotiable." Mr. Gemayel told an audience in Washington Thursday that the creation of an international tribunal is essential to Lebanon's national security and the physical security of its politicians. From Washington, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.
• Iraqi Official Arrested for Allegedly Funneling Millions to Shi'ites The U.S. military says a senior official in Iraq's health ministry has been arrested and charged with funneling millions of dollars to a notorious Shi'ite militia. The arrest follows pledges by Iraqi and U.S. officials to dismantle sectarian militias as part of the new Baghdad security crackdown. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from northern Iraq.
• British Bird Flu May Have Come From Hungary British authorities say the bird flu strain found in turkeys on a farm in eastern England may be identical to a strain that killed wild geese in Hungary.