News for Thursday, March 22, 2007
• Nuclear Envoys Wait for North Korea to Rejoin Talks International nuclear negotiators are meeting in Beijing for a fourth day as they wait for North Korea to rejoin six-party talks on nuclear disarmament.
• UN Secretary General Visits Iraq U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is in Iraq for talks with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
• Nuclear Talks Break Down as Pyongyang's Delegate Leaves Beijing North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator has left Beijing, effectively halting the latest round of talks on disarming his country's nuclear programs. North Korea refused to attend meetings this week until millions of dollars of its money is transferred out of a Macau bank. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.
• Somalis Flee Capital After Fierce Fighting Between Insurgents, Ethiopian Troops Hundreds of Somalis are fleeing their homes in Mogadishu, and witnesses say fighting between insurgents and Ethiopian and Somali forces is spreading to new parts of the capital Thursday.
• 2 British Sailors Killed, One Injured in Arctic Submarine Explosion Two British sailors have been killed and a third injured in an explosion aboard a British nuclear submarine under the Arctic ice cap.
• 38 Taleban Killed in Southern Afghanistan Afghan police say at least 38 Taleban militants were killed during a joint operation by NATO and Afghan forces in southern Helmand province.
• Fighting Intensifies in Pakistan's Tribal Border Area Pakistani officials say at least 135 people have been killed after four days of sometimes intense fighting between local and foreign militants in the country's remote tribal region. From Islamabad, VOA correspondent Benjamin Sand reports the four-day battle shows no sign of easing.
• NBA: Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs Claim Victory The Dallas Mavericks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-90 Wednesday in National Basketball Association (NBA) action.
• Mexican Religious Leaders Denounce Pro-Abortion Efforts Mexico's Roman Catholic Church has joined forces with other denominations to protest a move by leftist lawmakers to legalize abortion.
• Zimbabwe Court Allows Mugabe Opponents to Leave Country Zimbabwe's High Court is allowing two opposition activists to travel abroad for medical treatment after authorities barred them from leaving the country.
• Nigerian Opposition Seeks Removal of President Six Nigerian opposition parties are demanding the resignation or impeachment of President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa in Abuja reports that the call is based on their indictment by a senate committee.
• Shots Fired Near Former Congo Vice President's Home Witnesses in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, say gunfire has erupted near the home of the nation's former vice president, the scene of a standoff between the military and soldiers loyal to the former rebel leader.
• NHL: Rangers Shut Out Flyers The New York Rangers enjoyed a 5-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday in the National Hockey League.
• US Democratic Candidate John Edwards to Make Announcement One of the leading Democratic candidates for the U.S. presidency in 2008, John Edwards, says he will make an important announcement Thursday about the future of his campaign.
• Israeli PM: Ready to Make 'Painful' Concessions Israel's prime minister says his country is willing to make "painful" concessions to advance the long-stalemated peace process.
• Britain Offers Northern Ireland Billions for Power-Sharing Deal No summary available.
• Gunbattles Rage in DRC Capital Gunbattles between government troops and fighters loyal to former vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba are raging in the streets of the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) capital, Kinshasa.
• Amnesty International Calls on US to Try Guantanamo Detainees in Federal Courts Amnesty International is calling on the United States to abandon military commissions, and to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in U.S. federal courts instead.
• Queen Elizabeth II to Mark Jamestown Anniversary Britain's Queen Elizabeth will visit the United States in May to mark the 400th anniversary of the first permanent English settlement in America.
• Pakistan's President Appoints New Acting Chief Justice Pakistan's president Thursday appointed a second acting chief justice to replace suspended chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry.
• Jamaican Authorities Investigate Pakistan Cricket Team Coach's Death Jamaican police have brought in a second pathologist as the investigation continues into Sunday's death of former Pakistan cricket team coach Bob Woolmer during the World Cup.
• CAR Town of Birao Devastated as Thousands Flee Attack A senior U.N. official in the Central African Republic says fighting between rebel and government forces earlier this month has completely devastated Birao, the main town in the north-eastern part of the country, close to the border with Sudan's Darfur region. He says most of the town's inhabitants have fled the violence. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.
• FAO Marks Water Day with Dire Warnings The U.N. food agency (FAO) marked World Water Day calling for greater efforts to combat water scarcity. The agency's director general, Jacques Diouf, said this is the biggest challenge of the 21st century. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome.
• Edwards To Continue US Presidential Campaign Despite Recurrence Of Wife's Cancer Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said Thursday that his campaign will continue even as his wife, Elizabeth, battles a recurrence of cancer. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
• French Paper Cleared in Publishing Cartoons of Prophet Muhammad A French satirical newspaper has been cleared of insulting Muslims by publishing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. The ruling is considered a victory for free speech. Anita Elash has more for VOA from Paris.
• African Cotton Growers Say Industry Is on Verge of Collapse African cotton producers are calling for urgent action to save the industry from collapse. An executive of the African Cotton Association, or ACA, issued the call for action at the opening Thursday of a three-day meeting of African industry professionals held in Ghana. Efam Dovi has more on the story from Ghana's capital, Accra. The president of the African Cotton Association, Ibrahim Malloum, says despite efforts to make African cotton production more competitive in the international market, the industry remains hindered by several factors, including the subsidies governments in developed countries pay to their farmers. "The problem of the cotton sector in Africa, first of all, is the problem of lower world price, since now, seven or eight years the price of the cotton is still low because of overproduction and this overproduction of the cotton is the consequence of the subsidies granted by developed countries, and particularly, United States of America and Europe to their cotton farmers," Malloum says.
• Tour of Italy Cycling Champion Withdraws From Milan-San Remo Classic Reigning Tour of Italy cycling champion Ivan Basso will not race in this week's Milan-San Remo Classic because of a wrist sprain he suffered in last week's Tirreno-Adriatico race.
• US Senator Calls For Diplomatic Solution to Iraq A congressional Democrat is calling on the Bush administration to step up diplomacy with Iraq's neighbors to bring stability to the country and allow for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Senator James Webb of Virginia made his comments in a Washington speech, as VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.
• Researchers Give Color Vision to Mice With a bit of genetic manipulation, researchers have made it possible for mice to see in color, a development that scientists say may some day help people who have suffered brain injuries. VOA's Jessica Berman reports.
• US House Opens Debate on US Withdrawal from Iraq The U.S. House of Representatives has begun a debate on a spending measure containing more than $95-billion to fund the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. VOA's Dan Robinson reports, President Bush reiterated his displeasure with the way congressional Democrats are moving the measure through the House and has threatened to veto it.
• US, Azerbaijan Sign Energy Security Agreement The United States and Azerbaijan Thursday signed an agreement aimed at expanding oil and gas production in Azerbaijan and the Caspian region and moving it to European markets. The deal was signed during a State Department visit by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister that also included talks on the Baku government's human rights record, and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
• Nominee to Be US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Appears Before Congress President Bush's nominee to be the next U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia says, if confirmed, he will work with the Saudis to further anti-terrorism efforts. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.
• Dominican Republic Criticized Over Treatment of Haitians Human rights group Amnesty International has criticized the Dominican Republic for its treatment of Haitian migrant workers. In Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports the group claims that many Haitians are subject to summary deportation.
• Zimbabwe Accuses Western Media of Lies and Bias Zimbabwe's government is accusing the western media of fabricating stories to create what it calls a climate of anxiety and alarm in the country.
• UN Diplomats: Iran Nuclear Sanctions Resolution Ready for a Vote U.N. diplomats say sponsors of a resolution aimed at imposing more sanctions on Iran for its refusal to stop enriching uranium are ready to put it to a vote.
• New Pacific Commander Says US Will Maintain Advantage Over China The admiral who will take command Monday of all U.S. forces in the Pacific and Indian Oceans and Asia says he wants to know more about what China plans to do with its rapidly increasing military capability, but he believes it will be a long time before China will be able to challenge the United States militarily. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.