News for Monday, April 16, 2007
• MLB: Dodgers Beat Padres Major League Baseball marked the 60th anniversary Sunday of Jackie Robinson becoming the first African-American to play in the majors.
• Suicide Bomber in Northern Afghanistan Kills 10 No summary available.
• Al-Sadr Allies to Quit Iraqi Government The political party allied with radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has said its members will withdraw from Iraq's government Monday to protest the prime minister's failure to support a timetable for U.S. troops to leave the country.
• Bank of Thailand Cuts Interest Rate Thailand's central bank has cut its key interest rate for a third time this year and Japan's Toshiba company says it wants to boost overseas sales. Claudia Blume at VOA's Asia News Center in Hong Kong has more on these and other business stories from the region.
• High-Ranking American Envoy Calls for 'Action' From Sudan U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte has called for action, not words, to stop continuing violence in Sudan's Darfur region. Negroponte - who traveled to Darfur, Saturday - says he witnessed immense devastation there. Noel King has this report for VOA from Khartoum.
• Relatives Express New Fears for BBC Gaza Kidnap Victim The parents of a kidnapped British Broadcasting Corporation correspondent in the Gaza Strip have expressed new fears for his safety, following unconfirmed reports he was killed by a previously unknown Palestinian militant group. VOA's Jim Teeple has details from our Jerusalem Bureau.
• More Opposition Protests Outside Kyrgyz Parliament Opposition activists in Kyrgyzstan have gathered outside the parliament building to demand that lawmakers immediately take steps to push through proposed constitutional reforms limiting presidential power.
• EU Hopes Wolfowitz Scandal Will Not Hurt Work with World Bank The European Commission says it is concerned about the controversy surrounding World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz and expressed hope it will not affect cooperation between the two bodies.
• Suspected Militants Torch 5 Schools in Southern Thailand Thai police say suspected separatist militants have set fire to five schools in Thailand's south, where militants frequently target state-run institutions to protest the government's presence in the region.
• Former Spice Girl to Publish Series of Children's Books; Former Idol Carrie Underwood Makes History While the Broadway version of The Color Purple continues its successful run, a touring cast will begin previews in Chicago, Illinois on April 17. The show officially opens on May 3 and will spend six months at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre. The touring cast features Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams, American Idol season 3 finalist LaToya London, and Jeannette Bayardelle and Felicia Fields, who both appeared in the Broadway version of the show. The Color Purple is based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel, which tells the story of a young, abused African American woman who triumphs over adversity.
• WHO Updates International Disease Listing Medical professionals from around the world are working together under the World Health Organization to update the International Classification of Diseases. On an Internet platform launched on Monday, anyone can propose, with evidence, new disease classifications in the first global effort since 1989. As Yuriko Nagano reports, the list aims to become the medical version of Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia.
• Oxfam Launches $10 Million Appeal for Chad, Sudan International relief agency Oxfam launched a $10 million appeal on Monday for its humanitarian work in Chad and Sudan. The British-based group says as fighting continues to spread from Darfur into eastern Chad, its biggest emergency program in the world will soon run out of money. Aid workers say refugee camps along the border are running out of life-saving resources. Phuong Tran has more from VOA's Central and West Africa bureau in Dakar.
• New Movie 'Disturbia' Tops US Box Office Sales U.S. theatergoers chose suspense over skating, as Disturbia unseated Blades Of Glory for the U.S. box office championship. The peeping tom thriller starring Shia LaBeouf and David Morse took in $23 million to debut at number one last weekend.
• Popular Hawaiian Singer Don Ho Dies No summary available.
• Report Cites Surge in Afghan Civilian Casualties as Taleban Gains Strength Civilian causalities in Afghanistan surged dramatically in the last 15 months according to a new report, which pins most of the deadly violence on Taleban extremists. From Islamabad, VOA correspondent Benjamin Sand says the new report from a leading human rights group accuses Taleban insurgents of intentionally targeting civilians and violating international law.
• Nigeria's Ruling Party Win Majority of States in Regional Elections Partial results from Nigeria's state and legislative elections indicate the ruling party has won victories in 20 of 36 states. Meanwhile, in the most densely populated state of Lagos, opposition candidates were victorious. Sarah Simpson has details from Lagos.
• Madonna Travels to Malawi with Adopted Son Madonna touched down in the southern African nation of Malawi on April 16. Accompanying her is one-year-old David Banda, the local boy she is in the process of adopting.
• 12 Kurdish Rebels, One Soldier Killed in Clashes in Turkey Turkish security officials say one soldier and 12 Kurdish rebels were killed in a clash in eastern Turkey.
• Indian Moviegoers Protest Richard Gere's Public Displays of Affection A public display of affection got Richard Gere in trouble with Indian moviegoers. Irate fans burned the Hollywood actor in effigy April 16, after he repeatedly kissed movie actress Shilpa Shetty during an AIDS awareness event in New Delhi.
• Pope Benedict XVI Celebrates 80th Birthday Pope Benedict celebrated his 80th birthday, Monday, lunching with cardinals and attending a concert at the Vatican. Two years after his election to the papacy, many observers have begun to assess his style, which appears very different from his predecessor. From Rome, Sabina Castelfranco takes a look at Benedict's two years as pope and who he was before being elected.
• Protesters Burn Effigies of Richard Gere, Shilpa Shetty After Public Kiss Angry crowds in several Indian cities burned pictures of Hollywood actor Richard Gere and Indian actress Shilpa Shetty after he publicly kissed her hand and cheeks at an AIDS awareness event.
• Report: Global Internal Displacement Crisis Worsens A new report finds the number of people displaced within their own countries by conflict increased sharply last year, with the Middle East particularly hard hit. The Norwegian Refugee Council, which has just released its annual global survey, reports nearly 25 million people were internally displaced by conflict in 2006, about twice the number of refugees. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.
• Sudan Accepts Phase Two of UN Plan to Support Darfur Peacekeepers Sudan's government says it will accept the second part of a United Nations plan to strengthen the African Union peacekeeping force in war-torn Darfur.
• Nigeria's Political Leaders Assess State Elections Nigeria's ruling Peoples Democratic Party has taken an unassailable lead in results from Saturday's state polls. Gilbert da Costa reports for VOA from Abuja on how Nigeria's political leaders are reacting to the elections.
• Kenyan, Russian Post Fastest Times at Boston Marathon Defending champions Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya and Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia overcame difficult weather conditions to win the men's and women's races at the 111th edition of the Boston Marathon in Massachusetts.
• Shootings at US University Kill At Least 22 At least 22 people have been killed at a university in the eastern U.S. state of Virginia, including the suspected gunman in the deadliest shooting ever on a U.S. college campus.
• Boo Weekley Captures First PGA Victory American golfer Boo Weekley has captured the first PGA title of his career with a one-shot victory over South Africa's Ernie Els at the Heritage tournament in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
• Palestinian Guantanamo Detainee Says CIA Tortured Him A Palestinian held at the Guantanamo detention center has accused U.S. government intelligence agents of torturing him while he was held at secret prisons elsewhere in recent years, and says he made false confessions to his interrogators to get them to stop the torture. The allegation came in the transcript released Monday of a hearing the detainee had at Guantanamo three weeks ago. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.
• US Says Break-Up of Russian Protests Disturbing The United States expressed concern Monday about the Russian government's crackdown on opposition demonstrators in the run-up to national elections next year. The State Department said the developments are disturbing. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
• Virginia Tech Worst in Long History of US School Shootings The shootings at Virginia Tech are the latest - and worst - in a long history of gun violence at U.S. schools and universities.
• Bush Offers Prayers for Virginia Tech Victims President Bush says the nation is shocked and saddened by the shootings at Virginia Tech University.
• Jewish Holocaust Memorial Honors Arab Muslim A Jewish organization in Los Angeles has honored an Arab Muslim who saved Tunisian Jews from Nazi persecution. VOA's Mike O'Sullivan reports on a memorial service at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles.
• US Senate Postpones Attorney General Hearings After University Shootings The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has postponed Tuesday's highly-anticipated hearing for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, following Monday's deadly shootings at Virginia Tech University.
• Zimbabwe Orders All NGOs to Re-Register Zimbabwean state television says authorities have ordered all non-governmental organizations in the country to re-register in an effort to sift out those seeking regime change.