News for Friday, March 30, 2007
• Suicide Bombers in Iraq Target Shi'ites, Kill 130 Iraqi authorities say nearly 130 people were killed Thursday when suicide bombers struck Shi'ite areas of Baghdad and a northern town.
• Dissident Vietnamese Priest Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison A dissident Vietnamese priest, Father Nguyen Van Ly, has been sentenced to eight years in prison by a court in his home city of Hue. Ly had published an underground newspaper and helped found the Vietnam Progression Party as an alternative to the ruling Communist Party. Four other democracy activists were sentenced as well. Matt Steinglass reports from Hue.
• Fighting Resumes in Somali Capital After Bloody Offensive Fighting has broken out again Friday, in the Somali capital of Mogadishu between Islamic insurgents and Ethiopian troops allied with the interim Somali government.
• Iranian TV Broadcasts Another Taped Confession with Detained British Sailor Iranian television has broadcast footage of three of 15 detained British sailors, and said one of them had confessed to illegally entering Iranian waters in the northern Persian Gulf last week.
• Violence in Sri Lanka Kills 8 Civilians, 5 Soldiers Sri Lanka's Defense Ministry says a roadside bomb killed five soldiers and wounded another Friday, as they traveled in the country's north.
• Russian Top Lawmaker Proposes Increase in Presidential Term Limit A top Russian lawmaker has proposed scrapping the two-term limit on the country's presidency - a change that could allow President Vladimir Putin to run in next year's election.
• 7 Killed in Battle Between Pakistan Tribesmen, Militants Pakistani officials say fighting between Pakistani tribesmen and foreign militants on the Afghan border has killed at least seven militants.
• UN Human Rights Council Adopts Resolution on Darfur The UN Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution expressing concern over the situation in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region, but stopped short of directly criticizing the Sudanese government.
• French Nun Claims Pope John Paul II Helped Cure Her of Parkinson's Disease A Roman Catholic nun in France says the intercession of the late Pope John Paul II led to her cure from Parkinson's Disease, a case that could move the late pontiff toward sainthood.
• Benin Set to Hold Legislative Elections Saturday Officials in Benin say legislative elections will now be held Saturday after they were postponed earlier this week.
• Israel Welcomes Arab Peace Plan But Demands Changes Israel is cautiously welcoming a peace initiative presented at this week's Arab Summit in Saudi Arabia. But Israel has reservations, and Palestinian leaders are warning against any changes in the plan. Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in Jerusalem.
• US, South Korea Negotiate Trade Agreement as Deadline Approaches Free trade talks between the United States and South Korea are coming down to the wire Friday, with the presidents of both countries urging negotiators to reach an agreement.
• Swimming: Phelps Set Another World Record American swimmer Michael Phelps has set another world record at the World Swimming Championships in Melbourne, Australia - but he needed some help from his teammates to do it.
• Nigeria University Teachers Strike Over Poor Work Conditions University teachers in Nigeria are on strike over demands for better pay and work conditions. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa reports that the strike typifies growing disenchantment within the Nigerian education system.
• UN Humanitarian Chief Nears End of Sudan, Chad, CAR Mission The newly appointed U.N. humanitarian chief is completing his first visit to areas near Sudan affected by rebellions and cross-border fighting. John Holmes has advocated for a political solution to stabilize the area where the borders of Sudan, Chad and Central African Republic (CAR) meet. Humanitarian workers say living conditions in this region are deteriorating while leaders disagree about peacekeeping operations. Phuong Tran has more from VOA's West and Central African Bureau in Dakar.
• Study Finds When Sharks Disappear, So Do Shellfish A team of Canadian and American scientists says that the overfishing of large sharks has led to an explosion of small predators that are devastating populations of shellfish. VOA's David McAlary reports.
• Punk Rocker Anthony Lovato Not Charged in Stabbing Death Authorities in Los Angeles have not filed charges against a 26-year-old punk rock musician, following a deadly stabbing.
• Covers for New 'Harry Potter' Book Revealed The covers for the seventh and final Harry Potter book have been revealed.
• Spears, Federline Reach Divorce Settlement Britney Spears and Kevin Federline have reached a settlement in their divorce.
• Paris Hilton Could Face Jail Time Paris Hilton may face jail time for reckless driving. Los Angeles city prosecutors say they will ask a judge to revoke the hotel heiress' probation, after she was stopped in February for driving with a suspended license.
• Halle Berry Tells 'Parade' Magazine She Attempted Suicide in 1997 Halle Berry claims she attempted suicide in 1997.
• Bush Tours Scandal-Plagued Walter Reed President Bush is visiting the U.S. Army's Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Friday for the first time since reports surfaced of wounded soldiers living in shabby outpatient housing.
• India Tests Nuclear Capable Ballistic Missile India's defense ministry says it has successfully tested a nuclear-capable ballistic missile from a ship near the east coast.
• UN Chief Calls For Political Dialogue in Lebanon United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is in Beirut Friday for talks on Lebanon's political deadlock.
• Serbs Going Back to Kosovo for Remains of Loved Ones Next week the United Nations begins consideration of a U.N. negotiator's proposal to give supervised independence to Kosovo, the predominatly ethnic-Albanian province that is now part of Serbia. Though the province's independence is not assured, many Serbs have begun to disinter the bodies of relatives in Kosovo and transfer them to burial grounds elsewhere in Serbia. Sabina Castelfranco has this VOA report from Rome.
• EU Calls For Immediate Release of 15 Detained British Servicemembers The European Union has called for the immediate and unconditional release of the 15 British sailors and marines detained by Iran last week.
• Australian Guantanamo Detainee Formally Convicted of Supporting Terrorism A U.S. military judge at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility has formally convicted Australian David Hicks, 31, of providing material support for terrorism.
• Police Press Charges in Philippines Hostage Drama Philippine police have filed criminal charges against gunmen accused of taking school children hostage this week, despite appeals by the children's parents for clemency.
• Defense Expert Issues Warning on China's Anti-Satellite Efforts A U.S. defense expert is urging Washington to take seriously the possibility that China could develop space weapons to use against the United States. He made his comments to a congressional advisory panel Friday, as VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.
• Bush, Lula to Discuss Trade Issues, Ethanol Agreement President George Bush is to meet his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Saturday at Camp David for talks on global trade issues and a recent bilateral deal on biofuels. VOA's Brian Wagner reports that experts say the new energy agreement may be a key step in renewing U.S.-Brazil ties.
• Clashes Between Pakistani Tribesmen, Foreign Militants Kill 54 Pakistan says renewed fighting between local tribesmen and foreign militants in the South Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan left at least 54 people dead Friday.
• England Defeats Ireland in Cricket World Cup Super 8s England's cricket team has defeated Ireland by 48 runs in their World Cup Super 8s match at Providence cricket ground in Georgetown, Guyana.
• White House Criticizes US House Speaker's Plan to Visit Syria The Bush administration Friday criticized plans by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Syria. Pelosi and a delegation of other House Democrats are expected to go to Damascus early next week as part of a broader Middle East trip. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.