News for Tuesday, March 27, 2007
• Israelis, Palestinians Agree to Bi-Weekly Meetings U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has concluded her latest trip to the Middle East with an agreement from Israeli and Palestinian leaders to hold meetings every two weeks. VOA's Jim Teeple has details from our Jerusalem Bureau.
• Australia Welcomes Hicks Guilty Plea to Terrorism Charges at Guantanamo The Australian government says it expects Australian Taleban fighter David Hicks to return "fairly soon" to serve a prison sentence at home, after his guilty plea at Guantanamo Bay to a terrorism charge. The case, which has dragged out for more than five years, was becoming a political embarrassment to Australian Prime Minister John Howard. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.
• Mexico's State Oil Company in Financial Trouble Mexico's state-owned oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos, better known as Pemex, celebrated its 69th birthday on March 18, amid concerns that it is on the brink of insolvency and its production is falling. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, Mexico, still has plenty of oil, but internal politics prevent the investment needed to develop the resources.
• Experts Worry Vietnam's Stock Bubble Might Pop Vietnam's stock index has skyrocketed over the past year, and experts are worried that a sharp fall may be on the way. The government is considering putting controls on money flowing into and out of Vietnam in an attempt to cool the market. International financial experts have traditionally opposed capital controls, but as Matt Steinglass reports from Hanoi, that may be changing.
• Asian Development Bank Forecasts Robust Economic Growth for Developing Asia This Year The Asian Development Bank expects robust economic growth to continue in developing Asian nations this year, although a bit more slowly than in 2006. The bank credits strengthening domestic demand, waning inflation, and the recent slide in oil prices for the healthy picture. Douglas Bakshian has more from Manila, where the ADB has its headquarters.
• Car Bomb Kills 10 Outside Ramadi in Iraq Iraqi officials say a suicide car bomber has killed at least 10 people outside the city of Ramadi.
• Blair Warns Iran of 'Different Phase' Over Detained Naval Personnel British Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned Iran that efforts to free 15 British naval personnel will enter a "different phase" if diplomacy fails.
• French Rappers Urge Youth in Suburbs to Vote Rapper Rost, who grew up in a poor part of Paris, has been singing for years about the frustrations of unemployed youngsters with few opportunities. This year, he took to the road traveling around France, urging these young people in the suburbs to sign up to vote. It's a huge population that could make a big difference in the outcome. For VOA, Anita Elash reports from Paris.
• Suicide Bomber Disguised As Soldier Kills 4 in Southern Afghanistan A suicide bomber disguised as a soldier has blown himself up in front of police headquarters in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, killing himself and four policemen.
• Rwandan Pleads Not Guilty to Crimes Against Humanity in Canadian Court A Rwandan man accused of taking part in Rwanda's 1994 genocide pleaded not guilty on Monday at the opening of a war crimes trial in the Canadian province of Quebec, Montreal.
• Koreas Resume Family Reunions, Emergency Aid Shipments The long, slow rapprochement between the two Koreas has started again, with the two sides resuming video reunions of separated families. South Korea is also providing emergency humanitarian aid to the North for the first time since Pyongyang tested ballistic missiles and a nuclear weapon last year. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.
• Rival Ivory Coast Factions Agree Rebel Leader for New PM The government of Ivory Coast and rebel negotiators have agreed to name rebel leader Guillaume Soro prime minister under a plan to reunite the West African nation.
• WHO Says World Closer to Eradicating Guinea Worm Disease The World Health Organization, WHO, says the world could eradicate the parasitic disease of guinea worm within two years.
• Rapper Eminem, Wife Reach Deal on Public Criticism of Each Other Eminem and his ex-wife Kim Mathers have agreed not to publicly criticize each other. The estranged couple say the March 26 decision arises from their desire not to hurt their 11-year-old daughter, Hailie.
• Sewage Sweeps Through Gaza Village, 4 Dead Palestinian authorities say raw sewage has swept through a Bedouin village in the northern Gaza Strip, killing at least four people.
• Rap Star Busta Rhymes to Face Trial on Assault Charges Busta Rhymes will face trial on two assault charges after being caught driving with a suspended license.
• White House Spokesman Tony Snow's Cancer Has Returned Chief White House spokesman Tony Snow's cancer has returned and spread to his liver.
• US Navy Conducts War Games in Persian Gulf The U.S. Navy is conducting its largest war games in the Persian Gulf since the 2003 invasion of Iraq at a time of increasing tensions with Iran.
• New Complications in North Korean Funds Transfer Issue A British businessman's bid to buy a controlling stake in a North Korean bank may further complicate Pyongyang's efforts to recover $25 million in funds frozen in a Macau bank.
• Comedian Eddie Griffin Crashes Ferrari During Practice for Charity Race "Undercover Brother" may be good at karate, but his driving needs improvement. Comedian Eddie Griffin crashed a Ferrari Enzo sportscar worth an estimated $1.5 million.
• Indonesia Agrees to Send Bird flu Samples to WHO Indonesia has agreed to resume its sharing of bird flu samples with the World Health Organization (WHO), ending a four-month standoff between the two sides.
• Chinese, Russian Presidents Ink $4B Trade, Energy Deals Russia and China have signed more than four billion dollars worth of trade and energy agreements, on the second day of Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit to Russia.
• European Union Condemns Congo Bloodshed European Union ambassadors have expressed their indignation at two days of machine-gun and mortar battles between the army and loyalists of former vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital. From Kinshasa, Franz Wild reports for VOA.
• Nigeria Launches New Development Plan for Niger Delta Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo has launched a Niger Delta development plan in an effort to ease widespread discontent in the oil-rich country. Gilbert da Costa in Abuja reports that the new measures are meant to discourage militancy in the unruly region. A U.N. Development Program report in 2006 painted a picture of human misery in the Niger Delta, which has an estimated population of 30 million people. A large majority of people live in abject poverty, even though the region is the source of all of Nigeria's oil.
• Family of Former Football Player Lashes Out at Pentagon The family of former U.S. professional football player Pat Tillman has lashed out at the Pentagon, accusing the military of criminal wrongdoing following Tillman's friendly fire death in Afghanistan.
• US Senate Republicans Say They Will Not Block Iraq Bill Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate say they will not try to block passage of an Iraq war-spending bill, even if it includes a troop withdrawal deadline.
• US Rappers Snoop Dogg, Diddy Cancel British Tour American rappers Snoop Dogg and Sean "Diddy" Combs have canceled a tour of Britain after Snoop Dogg was denied a visa to enter the country.
• Experts Debate Biotechnology to Boost Agricultural Production in West Africa Experts from the Economic Community of West African States meeting in Ghana are discussing ways to use modern biotechnology to enhance agriculture production in the sub-region. Millions of West Africans suffer from food insecurity and malnutrition. Experts believe biotechnology can help the sub-region feed its population. But biotechnology is controversial. Advocates of its use say there is "widespread misinformation" about the safety of the technology. Over three days, delegates will be discussing plans for the development of biotechnology within the ECOWAS sub-region, as well as safety issues. Dr. Harold Roy-Macauley of the World Agroforestry Center is co-author of the action plan for the development of biotechnology and bio-safety in the ECOWAS sub-region. He explains why Africa has been slow to adopt modern biotechnology. "Like all new technology, they come with risk, and, therefore, in most of the African countries, there are resistance to the use of this technology, just because people think that it is a technology that results in products that could be harmful to humans and animals," he explained. He says it is time Africa embraced the technology to help the region move forward in the agriculture sector. "In Africa, the general trend is that we do not have enough food, and we have to ensure food security," he added. "And we are saying that biotechnology, this technology, could be used. It is not a panacea, but it contributes to improving food security. It could contribute to improving productivity."
• Pakistan's Musharraf Dismisses Legal, Political Criticism During Public Address Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has dismissed opposition protests over the suspension of the country's top judge, saying his critics are trying to politicize a constitutional and judicial issue.
• NATO Allies Raise Concerns About Italian Hostage Deal in Afghanistan NATO allies have raised concerns about a recent deal in Afghanistan to free five Taleban prisoners in exchange for a kidnapped Italian reporter.
• Russian President Marks World-renowned Musician's 80th Birthday Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a statement praising world-renowned cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich on his 80th birthday.
• UN Investigator Says Torture Widespread Around Globe After a fact-finding mission around the globe, a U.N.'s special investigator found that, while governments are quick to condemn torture, the practice is common in many parts of the world. The investigator has submitted his report to the UN Human Rights Council, which is meeting in Geneva until the end of the week, from where Lisa Schlein reports for VOA.
• UN Extends Hariri Assassination Probe The United Nations Security Council has extended for another year the investigation into the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
• Iraq's Government to Consider Bill to Reinstate Former Baathists Iraq's prime minister and president have introduced new legislation to make it easier for former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party to resume working in government and security positions. VOA's Margaret Besheer reports from northern Iraq that backers of the measure believe its passage would be an important step toward national reconciliation.
• Iranian Abduction of British Sailors Remains a Puzzle Iran says the 15 British sailors and marines captured Friday by Iranian Revolutionary Guards in disputed waters in the Persian Gulf are being held in Tehran. VOA correspondent Gary Thomas reports from Washington, Iran's motives in detaining them, and what the Iranian government's plans for them are, remain unclear.
• Serena Williams Easily Defeats Maria Sharapova in Sony Ericsson Open Australian Open tennis champion Serena Williams of the United States has easily defeated top-seeded Maria Sharapova of Russia to advance to the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida.
• US Senate Votes to Keep Troop Withdrawal Timetable in Iraq Bill The U.S. Senate has narrowly approved a measure that ties funding for the war in Iraq to a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops by March 2008.
• Russia Urges Full UN Review of Kosovo Independence Plan Russia is calling for a full review of the process that led to a U.N. mediator's proposal for Kosovo independence from Serbia. Correspondent Peter Heinlein at U.N. headquarters reports Moscow is asking the Security Council to begin the review with a visit to the region.
• Experts Do Not Foresee US Conflict with Russia "U.S-Russian Relations: Is Conflict Inevitable?" That was the title of a day-long conference on Monday at the Hudson Institute think tank in Washington, D.C. American and Russian experts analyzed the issue and VOA's Peter Fedynsky has this report on their discussion.
• Study: Tenth of Humanity Vulnerable to Sea Level Rise A new global population study has identified the regions and people at greatest risk from rising sea levels and more intense storms connected to global warming. As VOA's David McAlary reports, more areas are potentially vulnerable than commonly thought.
• Former Mexican Diplomat Sees Improving Relations with US Under President Calderon In spite of problems like drug smuggling and illegal immigration, a prominent former Mexican diplomat sees better times ahead for the US-Mexico relationship. Andres Rozental, a retired career diplomat who has served as the president of the Mexican Council on Foreign Affairs, spoke Tuesday to the Houston World Affairs Council. VOA's Greg Flakus was there and has this report.