News for Friday, April 20, 2007
• US Fails to Persuade Russia to Support Missile Defense Expansion in Europe The United States has briefed NATO and Russia together Thursday for the first time about its proposals for expansion of missile defense into Europe. Some European allies have expressed reservations in the past about the plans and the Russians have rejected it as an encroachment on their security. Teri Schultz has the story from Brussels.
• North, South Korea Hold Economic Talks Despite Early Delay North and South Korean officials are struggling to make progress on economic talks in Pyongyang, but North Korea's missing of a deadline to start dismantling its nuclear programs is causing tension at the talks. VOA's Heda Bayron reports from our Asia News Center in Hong Kong.
• World Bank Officials Promise Quick Decision on Wolfowitz The board of executive directors of the World Bank says there are still "a number of issues" involving the role President Paul Wolfowitz played in securing a promotion for his girlfriend.
• Virginia Governor Forms Panel to Probe College Massacre The governor of the eastern U.S. state of Virginia has formed an independent panel to investigate Monday's deadly shooting rampage on the campus of Virginia Tech.
• Kyrgyz Opposition Suspends Protest Kyrgyzstan's political opposition has suspended its protest action in the capital, Bishkek, after police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse thousands of demonstrators from the capital's main square, late Thursday. VOA's Lisa McAdams in Moscow reports the demonstrators had been in the streets the past eight days, calling for President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's resignation.
• Kidnappers in Paraguay Release Japanese Businessman, 2 Paraguayans Japanese officials say kidnappers in Paraguay have released a Japanese businessman and two Paraguayans abducted early this month.
• MLB: Rodriquez Hot Bat Continues to Carry Yankees In Major League Baseball, Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez hit a game-ending, three-run home run to cap a ninth-inning rally, giving New York an 8-6 win over the Cleveland Indians.
• Pre-Election Survey Indicates Sarkozy Will Win French Presidency in Runoff A new poll in France indicates conservative candidate Nicolas Sarkozy would beat Socialist hopeful Segolene Royal in a second round presidential runoff.
• Suspected Islamist Terrorist Leader Killed in Clash with Serbian Police Authorities in Serbia say police have shot and killed the suspected leader of an Islamist terrorist group in a predawn gunbattle in a predominantly Muslim region.
• Bolivia Approves Nationalization Contracts with Foreign Energy Firms Bolivia's Congress has approved nationalization contracts as part of a plan by President Evo Morales to nationalize the country's oil and gas industry.
• Ottawa, Anaheim Advance in NHL Playoffs The Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks both won Thursday to advance to the second round of the National Hockey League playoffs.
• Bangladesh's Top 2 Political Leaders Fight Efforts to Drive Them Out of Country Supporters of a top Bangladeshi politician say the leader is determined to defy a government ban on her return to the country. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi on developments in Bangladesh, where the emergency government is seeking to remove the leaders of the two most powerful parties from the political scene.
• Pakistani Tribal Leader Says He Would Provide Shelter to Osama bin Laden A government-backed pro-Taleban tribal leader in Pakistan says he would provide shelter to Osama bin Laden.
• Violent Clashes Continue in Somali Capital Intense fighting continues in the Somali capital of Mogadishu Friday, as the United Nations warns of a growing health crisis in the war-wracked Horn of Africa nation.
• US Embassy in Germany Orders Increased Security at American Facilities The U.S. Embassy has ordered increased security for American facilities in Germany, in response to what officials call a heightened threat situation.
• US Defense Secretary Urges Iraq Leaders to Reconcile Shi'ites, Sunnis U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has stressed that the U.S. commitment to Iraq is long-term, but that military support is not open-ended.
• Virginia Holds Day of Mourning to Honor Victims of University Shootings The eastern U.S. state of Virginia is observing a day of mourning Friday to honor the 32 victims of a suicidal gunman's rampage at Virginia Tech university earlier this week.
• Key US Stock Index Hits Another Record High The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped to a new record high in Friday's early trading.
• Pakistan, Afghan Forces Exchange Fire Along Disputed Border Pakistani-Afghan relations have taken a dramatic turn for the worse after the countries' forces exchanged fire along a remote stretch of their ill-defined border. From Islamabad, VOA's Benjamin Sand reports the firefight was sparked by a controversy over Pakistani plans to fence off the border area.
• Holocaust Survivor Who Died Defending Virginia Tech Students Buried in Israel The Holocaust survivor who died defending students in the shooting rampage on the campus of Virginia Tech in the U.S. state of Virginia has been buried in Israel.
• Nigeria's Young Democracy Faces Critical Test Millions of Nigerian voters are expected to vote Saturday in what is regarded as one of the most important national elections in the country's history. The vote follows state elections last week that provoked a storm of debate and concerns. Gilbert da Costa has this report from the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
• Ousted 'Idol' Sanjaya Weighing His Options Sanjaya Malakar is keeping his options open.
• Lingerie Purveyor Victoria's Secret Names Justin Timberlake Sexiest Male Musician Justin Timberlake is the sexiest male musician on earth. This judgement comes courtesy of lingerie purveyor Victoria's Secret, which just issued its annual assessment of celebrity pulchritude.
• Jury Selected for Phil Spector Murder Trial A jury is in place for the murder trial of Phil Spector. Nine men and three women were sworn in April 19, to determine whether the legendary music producer fatally shot actress Lana Clarkson in February, 2003.
• Iranian Atomic Official: Tehran Needs a Few Years to Make Nuclear Fuel The head of Iran's atomic energy agency says the country will need a few more years before it can make enough nuclear fuel for its power plants.
• Cuba Holds US Government Responsible for Release of Posada Carriles Cuba says it holds the U.S. government responsible for the release of a Cuban exile blamed for the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner.
• Actor Alec Baldwin Criticized for Admonishing Daughter in Angry Voice Mail The long-running feud between movie star Alec Baldwin and his ex-wife Kim Basinger erupted anew on April 19, with the release of his angry phone message admonishing his 11-year-old daughter, Ireland.
• Bollywood Stars Marry in Traditional Hindu Ceremony Bollywood's hottest couple tied the knot Friday in a traditional Hindu ceremony in the Indian city of Mumbai.
• US Lawmakers Call on India to Halt Military Cooperation with Iran A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has asked India to cease its growing military cooperation with Iran. New Delhi and Tehran recently stepped up military-to-military cooperation. As VOA correspondent Gary Thomas reports, such efforts could spell trouble for the pending nuclear deal between the United States and India.
• Violence, Delays Precede Nigeria Presidential Vote Violence and delays are marking the hours before Saturday's (today's) presidential vote in Nigeria. Militant leaders in the oil-rich but restive south are vowing to disrupt the process. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Abuja.
• US Police Say Gunman Kills Self, Hostage at NASA Center Police in the southern U.S. city of Houston, Texas, say an unidentified gunman has shot and killed a male hostage and himself in a standoff at the U.S. Space Agency, NASA.
• US Criticizes Press Crackdown in Kyrgyzstan The United States Friday protested a raid by security forces in Kyrgyzstan on a facility where opposition newspapers are printed. The police action in the capital Bishkek early Friday followed several days of protests against the government of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
• Somali Human Rights Group Says 113 Dead After Fighting in Mogadishu A Somali human rights group says at least 113 people have died and more than 200 have been wounded in three days of fighting between insurgents and Ethiopian troops in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.