News for Wednesday, April 11, 2007
• US Envoy Calls for North Korea to Begin Disarming A top U.S. nuclear envoy is urging North Korea to start shutting down its nuclear program, saying that a financial dispute that delayed the disarmament process has now been resolved.
• EU Hails East Timor's First Presidential Elections The head of the European Union Election Observation Mission in East Timor has hailed the nation's first-ever presidential vote on Monday as peaceful. The news bodes well for the second round of voting in an expected run-off ballot in May. VOA Correspondent Nancy-Amelia Collins is in Dili and tells us more.
• DNA Tests Confirm Birkhead Fathered Late Anna Nicole Smith's Baby DNA tests have revealed that Larry Birkhead is the father of the late Anna Nicole Smith's baby.
• White House Searching for Iraq, Afghanistan War 'Czar' A U.S. newspaper says the Bush administration has been unsuccessfully trying to find someone to oversee the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Cuban President Criticizes US for Releasing Wanted Criminal on Bail Cuban President Fidel Castro has criticized a U.S. judge's decision to release on bail a Cuban-born former U.S. intelligence operative.
• Egyptian Girl Dies of Bird Flu Egypt's health ministry says a teenage girl who tested positive for the H5N1 avian flu has died -- raising the number of deaths from the disease in Egypt to 14.
• Israel Rejects Palestinian Prisoner Release List Israeli officials have rejected a list of Palestinian prisoners to be swapped in exchange for the release of an Israeli soldier being held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. VOA's Jim Teeple has details from our Jerusalem Bureau.
• Iraqi Authorities Say 20 Militants Killed in Tuesday's Fighting in Baghdad Iraqi authorities say 20 militants were killed in Tuesday's fighting between Sunni militants and U.S. and Iraqi forces in Baghdad's Fadhil neighborhood.
• Bomb Blasts in Algerian Capital Kill at least 17 Bombs have exploded outside the headquarters of Algeria's prime minister and a police station in Algiers.
• Nigerians Prepare to Vote for State Officials Nigerians are preparing for this Saturday’s elections for governors and delegates to state houses of assembly. These elections are touted as setting the tone for the following presidential elections. For more insight on preparations for April 14th, English to Africa reporter Kim Lewis spoke with VOA Hausa service reporter Aliyu Mustapha in Kano.
• Anti-Government Demonstrators Protest in Kyrgyzstan Opposition activists are protesting Wednesday, in Krygyzstan's capital, Bishkek, demanding early presidential elections and promised constitutional reform. From Moscow, VOA's Lisa McAdams reports similar protests, two years ago, descended into violence, forcing then-President Askar Akayev from office.
• Reporters WIthout Borders: Mexican Radio Program Suspended Following Threats A media advocacy group says a murdered Mexican journalists' radio news program has been take off the air after another broadcaster was threatened.
• Congo's Bemba Leaves For Portugal While Supporters Feel Persecuted The former rebel and current opposition leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jean-Pierre Bemba, has left for Portugal after seeking refuge for several weeks at the South African embassy in Kinshasa, while his supporters say they still feel persecuted. This follows deadly violence in March between Bemba's guard and Congo's post-war security forces. VOA's Nico Colombant has more from our regional bureau, with additional reporting by Eddy Isango in Kinshasa.
• Bangladeshi Political Leaders Face Murder Charges Police in Bangladesh say they have brought murder charges against about 50 political leaders, including former prime minister and opposition chief Sheikh Hasina.
• Suicide Car Bomber Targets NATO Convoy in Kandahar, 8 Civilians Wounded Afghan police say a suicide car bomber targeted a NATO convoy in the southern city of Kandahar, wounding eight civilians but causing no deaths except for the bomber. Officials say no NATO soldiers were hurt in Wednesday's blast in the western part of Kandahar.
• Arab League: Somali Peace Conference Postponed Due to Security Concerns A senior Arab League official says the conference to reconcile Somalia's warring factions has been postponed until mid-May for security reasons.
• US Military: Iranian Agents Supporting Insurgent Groups in Iraq The U.S. military has presented evidence that it says shows Iranian intelligence agents are providing weapons and training to both Sunni and Shi'ite insurgents in Iraq.
• Pakistan Government Touts Success in Fight Against Foreign Militants Pakistani tribal forces near the Afghan border say they have defeated hundreds of Uzbek militants after several weeks of sometimes intense combat. Military officials say the apparent victory vindicates a series of controversial government agreements with area tribes, many of which remain defiantly anti-American and pro-Taleban. VOA correspondent Benjamin Sand has more from Islamabad.
• Rights Group: Egypt Committing Systematic Abuses An international rights group has accused Egyptian authorities of committing regular abuses of human rights in the name of national security.
• Ethiopian Government Shows Detainees on State-Run TV Ethiopian state television has shown some of the 41 foreign terrorism suspects the government has detained, saying the prisoners are not being mistreated.
• Rapper Snoop Dogg Faces Felony Drug, Gun Possession Charges Snoop Dogg faces charges of felony drug and gun possession.
• Aid Group Says British Foreign Policy Unfair, Not Credible The British-based international aid group, Oxfam, says Britain's foreign policy is widely viewed as unfair and not credible. A new study, released by the group Wednesday, says the country's "misadventure" in Iraq is part of the problem. VOA's Sonja Pace reports from London.
• Judge Rules Phil Spector's Ex-Girlffriend Can Testify in His Murder Trial A Los Angeles judge has ruled that Phil Spector's ex-girlfriend may testify that he twice pointed guns at her head.
• Citigroup to Cut Thousands of Jobs The biggest U.S. financial institution says it will eliminate about 17,000 jobs, or five percent of its workforce, in a drive to cut expenses and boost profits.
• Iran May Boycott Iraq Security Conference if Detainees Not Freed Iran has signaled that it may not participate in an upcoming Iraqi security conference if the United States does not release five detained Iranians.
• Ethiopia Denies Its Soldiers Targeted Civilians in Somalia Ethiopia has denied allegations its soldiers in Somalia attacked and killed innocent civilians during heavy fighting against insurgents in the Somali capital earlier this month, calling the charges false and unfair. VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu reports from our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi.
• McCain Condemns Democrats for Troop Withdrawal Deadlines U.S. Senator and Republican presidential candidate John McCain has condemned Democrats in Congress for passing war funding bills that include deadlines for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.
• Hamas Criticizes US Offer of Security Aid to Palestinians The Islamic militant group, Hamas, has criticized a U.S. pledge of about $60 million to strengthen Palestinian security measures.
• French Presidential Candidate Denies Deal With Chirac Representatives of French presidential candidate Nicholas Sarkozy and President Jacques Chirac have denied a newspaper report that they made a deal to protect the outgoing president from prosecution in a corruption probe.
• Nigerian Police Confident of Handling Election Violence Top Nigerian police officers have been meeting before this month's crucial general elections. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa in Abuja reports that rising political violence before the polls has created concern in a country with a history of political violence.
• US Talk Show Loses Sponsors Following Controversial Remarks Two major companies have pulled their advertisements from a popular U.S. radio talk show because of controversial comments the host made about members of a women's college basketball team.
• Germany's Muslims Form Umbrella Group Four leading Muslim groups in Germany have formed an umbrella organization aimed at speaking with one voice in the community's dealings with the government.
• Georgian Prime Minister Wants Peaceful Resolution with Breakaway Abkhazia Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli has again stressed that his government seeks a peaceful resolution of the conflict over his country's breakaway region of Abkhazia
• US Says North Korea to Invite UN Inspectors Within Day of Getting Funds The head of a U.S. delegation that visited North Korea says Pyongyang has offered to take initial steps to shut down its nuclear program within a day of receiving funds that have been frozen in a Macau bank.
• Labor Activist Killed in Mexico A Mexican citizen working for a farm-labor arm of the AFL-CIO labor union has been found murdered in the group's offices in Monterrey, Mexico.
• IMF Upbeat on Global Economic Growth Despite US Slowdown The International Monetary Fund Wednesday issued its semi-annual World Economic Outlook predicting nearly five percent growth this year and next. VOA's Barry Wood has more.
• Bangladesh: Gunmen Kill Prosecutor in Case Against Islamic Militants Police in Bangladesh say unidentified gunmen have shot and killed a public prosecutor who led the case against six Islamic militants who were convicted and, later, executed.
• Key Trade Officials Begin Talks in India on Global Trade Deal Officials from the United States, the European Union, India, and Brazil are meeting in New Delhi Wednesday to haggle over trade barriers.
• Argentine Ship Evacuated After Catching Fire Almirante Irizar (file photo)" hspace=2 src="/english/images/ap_argentine_ship_icebreaker_almirante_irizar_195_eng_11Apr07.jpg" width=210 vspace=2 border=0> A group of 269 people aboard an Argentine icebreaker had to abandon ship Wednesday after a fire broke out while the vessel was in the south Atlantic Ocean.
• Danish Court Dismisses Challenge to Dispatch of Troops to Iraq A Danish court has dismissed a legal case filed by citizens who accused Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of violating the country's constitution by sending troops to Iraq.
• Negroponte Seeks Sudanese Action on Darfur Peacekeeping U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte leaves Washington late Wednesday on a north African mission beginning in Sudan and focusing on the situation in Darfur. The State Department says the Khartoum government can expect new sanctions if there is no movement on a long-delayed expansion of international peacekeeping in Darfur. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
• All Charges Dropped Against Duke Lacrosse Players in Sexual Assault Case The attorney general from North Carolina says prosecutors have dropped all remaining charges against three Duke University Lacrosse players accused last year of sexually assaulting a woman.
• Iraqi Government Spokesman Opposes Premature Troop Withdrawal Iraq's government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, spoke out Wednesday against what he called a "premature" withdrawal of U.S. forces from his country. He said U.S. troops should not leave until Iraq is ready and its security forces have received sufficient training. VOA's William Ide reports from Washington, where the Iraqi official made his remarks.
• Yushchenko May Freeze Order Dissolving Ukraine Parliament A senior aide to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko says the president is willing to freeze his order to dissolve parliament and hold early elections.
• Bangladeshi Political Leaders Face Murder Charges Police in Bangladesh have brought murder charges against some 50 political leaders, including opposition Awami League chief and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
• Pentagon Extends US Army Troops' Tours of Duty to 15 Months U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has announced that the standard tour of duty for U.S. Army soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan will be extended from 12 months to 15 months.
• Amnesty International Criticizes Egypt for Rights Abuses The human-rights organization Amnesty International has released a report highly critical of what it says is Egypt's use of torture and illegal detention. The report also says Egypt is acting on behalf of a number of Western countries as a center of interrogation and torture. Leslie Boctor has more from Cairo.
• US Hispanics Protest TV Documentary about World War II Hispanic organizations in the United States are demanding changes to a new documentary about World War II that is set to run on the public television network, PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), in September. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, producers have agreed to add material to the project, but will not change the film itself.
• Immigrant Advocacy Groups Press for US Reforms Immigrant advocacy groups are seeking to raise pressure on Washington to reach agreement on the overhaul of America's immigration law. In Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports that immigrant advocates are hoping that, after several failures, a deal can be reached with the support of the White House before the end of the year.
• Israeli Warplanes Intercept 'Non-Communicative' US Passenger Plane Israeli warplanes intercepted a Tel Aviv-bound U.S. passenger plane Wednesday after it lost communication with air traffic controllers.
• Mbeki Upbeat on Prospects for Darfur Peace South African President Thabo Mbeki wrapped up a two-day trip to Sudan late Wednesday sounding optimistic about the prospects for peace in Darfur. His visit was part of intense diplomatic activity in Sudan aimed at easing the crisis in war-torn province. But Sudanese officials deny Mr. Mbeki went to Khartoum to press Sudan to accept U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur. Noel King reports for VOA from Khartoum.
• Scientists Find Genes That Spread Breast Cancer to Lungs Cancer researchers have identified a set of genes they say promote the spread of breast tumors to the lungs. The finding helps explains the steps by which breast cancer cells invade the lungs and suggests biological targets for existing drugs to stop the process. VOA's David McAlary reports.
• US Senate Votes to Lift Ban on Federal Funding of Stem Cell Research The U.S. Senate - in defiance of a presidential veto threat - has voted 63 to 34 to allow federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.
• Pope Benedict Says Theory of Evolution Cannot be Dismissed No summary available.
• US Hispanics Win Battle Over World War II Documentary The public television network, PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), has agreed to changes in a documentary about World War II that will include contributions by Hispanics to the war effort. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, producers have agreed to add material to the 14-hour film planned for airing in September.
• ConocoPhillips Accepts Climate Change, Develops Alternative Fuels ConocoPhillips, the fifth largest oil company in the world, is taking steps to address the problem of global warming, the first major US oil company to do so. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, the company is implementing programs to develop alternative fuels and to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.