News for Saturday, March 3, 2007
• Suspected Insurgents Kill 6 Sunnis Outside Baghdad Police in Iraq say gunmen have shot and killed six Sunni civilians in a raid on a house outside Baghdad.
• Hundreds Detained in Recent Rioting in Copenhagen Danish authorities say riot police have detained 188 people while breaking up overnight violence by protesters angry about the recent eviction of squatters from a downtown Copenhagen building.
• Roadside Bomb Kills 2, Wounds 16 in Western Afghanistan Afghan officials say a bomb exploded Saturday in the western city of Herat, killing at least two civilians and wounding about 16 others.
• US Coast Guard Suspends Search for Nearly 50 Haitian Migrants Near Dominican Republic The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for nearly 50 Haitian migrants who have been missing since their homemade boat caught fire and capsized near the Dominican Republic.
• Japanese PM's Denial of WWII Sex Slaves Sparks Outcry in South Korea South Korea is accusing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of glossing over his country's wartime history, following his remarks denying the existence of sex slaves during World War II.
• Landslides in Eastern Indonesia Kill 40 Officials in eastern Indonesia say landslides triggered by days of heavy rain have killed at least 40 people, while scores more are believed to be buried under the mud.
• Putin's Choice Approved as New President of Chechnya Chechnya's parliament has approved a former rebel leader as the war-torn region's president. The approval came one day after Ramzan Kadyrov was nominated for the post by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Bill Gasperini has more for VOA from Moscow.
• Ethiopian Officials Says Tourists Held By Eritrea An Ethiopian official says at least five of the European tourists kidnapped earlier this week in a remote area of the country were taken by Eritrean forces.
• 3 US Soldiers Killed in Baghdad The U.S. military says a roadside bomb killed three American soldiers Saturday in central Baghdad. No further details were immediately available.
• Burma Confirms Additional Bird Flu Outbreak in Rangoon Suburb Burma has confirmed additional outbreaks of the H5N1 strain of bird flu virus among poultry in the suburbs of Rangoon.
• Violence Spreads to Northeast CAR with Renewed Rebel Attack In the Central African Republic (CAR), rebels attacked a village in the northeast, near Sudan's Darfur region early Saturday. This latest attack comes as the United Nations continues negotiations to send peacekeepers to the area, where the borders of CAR, Chad and Sudan meet. Phuong Tran has more from VOA's Central and West Africa bureau in Dakar.
• Total Lunar Eclipse to Be Visible Saturday Night The moon will turn shades of red Saturday during a total lunar eclipse.
• Zimbabwe Doctors Strike Ends After Compromise ZImbabwe government officials say the nation's doctors have returned to work after a compromise agreement was reached to end their two-month strike.
• Actress Elizabeth Hurley, Indian Businessman Wed British actress Elizabeth Hurley and Indian businessman Arun Nayar hosted a lavish wedding celebration Saturday at a castle in western England.
• Russian Police Disperse Demonstrators From St. Petersburg Russian riot police have dispersed thousands of opposition protesters from the main square in St. Petersburg, detaining at least 20 people.
• Libya's Gadhafi Says West 'Let Down' His Country Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi says the West has not properly compensated Libya for dismantling its weapons of mass destruction programs, so countries like Iran and North Korea will not follow Libya's example.
• North Koreans Protest Alleged Human Rights Abuses in Japan Thousands of North Koreans took to the streets in Japan Saturday to protest alleged human rights abuses from authorities there who are suspicious of their connections to Pyongyang.
• Danish Police Search Houses, Arrest Rioters Danish police have searched homes in the capital, Copenhagen, looking for activists involved in two nights of clashes with authorities that followed the eviction of squatters from an unofficial youth center.
• Stolen Painting Found in Filmmaker Spielberg's Collection A Norman Rockwell painting stolen more than three decades ago has turned up at the home of acclaimed U.S. film director Steven Spielberg.
• Estonia's Two Biggest Parities Lead Polls as Estonians Prepare to Vote The two largest political parties in Estonia look poised to stay in power, according to opinion polls ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election. It will be the world's first parliamentary election to accept ballots over the Internet.