News for Saturday, March 31, 2007
• Car Bombings in Iraq Kill 11 No summary available.
• Congressional Research Service: US Military Has Sufficient Funds For Iraq War An independent U.S. government report says the Army has enough money available to fund its military operations in Iraq through July.
• US, South Korea Extend Talks in Last Minute Push for Trade Deal The push for a trade liberalization deal between the United States and South Korea is going down to the wire. Negotiators extended their deadline to hammer out sensitive issues to produce a deal before a crucial legislative deadline. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.
• Parliamentary Elections Under Way in Benin Voters in the western African nation of Benin are lining up to cast ballots in Saturday's legislative elections.
• Iran Renews Threat to Prosecute British Sailors Iran's ambassador to Russia has renewed a threat Iranian officials made earlier this week, saying 15 detained British sailors and marines could be tried for violating international law.
• EU Foreign Ministers Discuss Mideast Peace Process European Union foreign ministers tackled the topic of Mideast peace Saturday on the second and final day of an informal meeting in Bremen, Germany.
• Somali Capital Endures Third Straight Day of Fighting A third day of of fighting has broken out in Somalia's capital between Islamic insurgents and government forces backed by Ethiopian troops.
• Zimbabwe Ruling Party Endorses Mugabe Run in 2008 Zimbabwe's ruling party has endorsed President Robert Mugabe as its candidate for next year's presidential elections.
• Terror Suspect Accuses US of Torture A suspected terrorist held at Guantanamo Bay says he confessed to planning numerous terrorist attacks only after he was tortured by his U.S. captors.
• US House Speaker Pelosi Begins Middle East Trip in Israel The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and a delegation of other House Democrats have arrived in Israel, their first stop on a fact-finding mission to the Middle East.
• Britain Calls for Peaceful, Quick Resolution to Crisis with Iran Britain's foreign secretary says London wants the crisis over Tehran's seizure of 15 British naval personnel resolved peacefully and as soon as possible.
• UN Chief Concerned with Weapons Smuggling into Lebanon United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he is concerned that weapons are still being smuggled into Lebanon.
• Germany's Merkel in Jordan to Discuss Peace Plan German Chancellor Angela Merkel has arrived in Jordan for talks with King Abdullah about regional developments. It is the first stop of her three-day visit to the Middle East.