News for Saturday, April 7, 2007
• Bus Bombing Kills 7 in Sri Lanka No summary available.
• MLB: Cardinals Finally Win No summary available.
• US Radio Station Says Correspondent Killed in Iraq A U.S.-funded radio station says its correspondent in Iraq has been killed.
• NBA: Toronto Wins Division Title No summary available.
• Hijacked Cargo Ships Released in Waters Off Somalia A U.N.-chartered cargo ship seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia has been released after nearly a month in captivity.
• Palestinian Militant Killed in Israeli Air Strike Palestinian witnesses say Israeli helicopters have carried out an air strike along the border with the Gaza Strip, killing a Palestinian militant and wounding two others.
• Iraq Ministerial Meeting to Take Place in Egypt First Week in May Iraq's foreign minister says a ministerial meeting between Iraq, its neighbors and world powers will be held in Egypt during the first week of May.
• Dispute Over Lawyers' Fees is Latest Threat to Long-Delayed Khmer Rouge Trial A dispute over the fees that Cambodian lawyers are trying to charge foreign defense attorneys is threatening the long-awaited trial of former leaders of the Khmer Rouge. VOA's Rory Byrne reports from Phnom Penh.
• WHO Warns of Global Threats on World Health Day The World Health Organization is urging greater cooperation among nations to tackle the growing number of cross-border threats to public health.
• Pair of Turkish Engineers Latest Kidnapping Victims in Nigeria Authorities say two Turkish nationals have been kidnapped in the oil-producing region of southern Nigeria.
• Israeli Air Strike Tests Gaza Cease-Fire An Israeli helicopter launched an air strike along the Gaza border, firing missiles at Palestinian militants whom the army said were planting a bomb. Residents described it as the fiercest attack since a ceasefire went into effect more than four months ago.
• India's Most Populous State Begins Month-Long Assembly Election Voters in India's most populous state went to the polls Saturday in the first round of a seven-stage ballot to be spread over the next month.
• Sectarian Violence Leaves 8 Dead in Pakistan Officials in Pakistan say the military has imposed a curfew in a remote northern town where sectarian clashes left eight people dead and at least 45 wounded.
• US Judge Orders Cuban Militant Released on House Arrest A U.S. judge has ordered the release of a Cuban-born former U.S. intelligence operative from jail as he awaits trial on immigration fraud charges.
• WFP Accelerates Emergency Aid To Flood Stricken Afghanistan The World Food Program says it is accelerating delivery of emergency relief supplies to thousands of flooding victims in Afghanistan. It says it has so far managed to deliver enough emergency rations to feed 60,000 Afghans, but more people are in need. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.
• YouTube Offers to 'Educate' Thai Authorities About Web Site Officials with the popular video-sharing Web site YouTube say they have offered to "educate" Thai authorities about how the service works, in the hopes of ending a ban on the site.
• US Diplomat Makes Surprise Visit to Somalia The top U.S. diplomat for Africa has arrived in Somalia, on a surprise visit for talks with the east African nation's transitional leadership.
• China Signs Deal With Burma on Dam China has signed a deal to help military ruled Burma construct a hydropower plant on the Salween river in the northeastern part of the country.
• Indonesian Man Dies Of Bird Flu; Death Toll Stands at 74 Indonesia's Health Ministry says a 29-year-old man has died of bird flu, the latest victim in the country hardest-hit by the virus.
• Palestinian Minister: Gaza Militants Present List for Possible Prisoner Swap A Palestinian official says Gaza militants have presented a list of Palestinian prisoners they would like freed in exchange for a kidnapped Israeli soldier.
• US Software Engineer Launched Into Space The Russian spacecraft Soyuz TMA-10 carrying U.S. billionaire Charles Simonyi and two Russian cosmonauts has been successfully launched on its mission to the International Space Station carrying.
• Suspected Taleban Militants Attack Mine-Clearing Team in Afghanistan, Killing 7 Police in southwestern Afghanistan say suspected Taleban militants Saturday attacked a mine-clearing team, killing seven people.
• Gbagbo's Party Dominates New Ivory Coast Government The party of Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo dominates a new power-sharing government with northern-based rebels that was formed Saturday. Meanwhile, international peacekeepers say they will start withdrawing from a buffer zone mid-April, more than four years after the country's split in two. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from our regional bureau in Dakar.
• Thousands Rally in Ukrainian Capital Against Parliament's Dissolution Thousands of protesters have rallied for a fifth day in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, against President Viktor Yushchenko's decision to dissolve parliament and hold early elections.
• Cuba Protests US Release of Luis Posada Carriles Cuba's official newspaper has condemned the release from jail of a Cuban-born U.S. intelligence operative who is awaiting trial on immigration fraud charges.
• Yemeni News Agency Says Mosque Attack Injures More than 30 The Yemeni state news agency says an attack on a mosque north of the capital has injured more than 33 people.
• US Official Holds Talks With Interim Government in Somalia The top U.S. diplomat for Africa held talks with leaders in Somalia's transitional government Saturday to get a first-hand assessment of the situation following recent fighting between insurgents and Ethiopian-backed Somali forces. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi, she urged leaders to pursue reconciliation.