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VOA-newscast-2014-08-14T2100CDT-0200Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. Coming up, a change in Iraqi politics and the Russian president talking peace for eastern Ukraine. Hello everyone, I'm Steve Norman. Embattled two-term Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says he is stepping aside and will support his nominated replacement. Mr. Maliki is under enormous international pressure to resign. He announced his decision late Thursday in a nationally televised address, pledging his full support for nominee Haider al-Abadi. Mr. Maliki had rapidly lost the support of the international community and is widely accused of failing to unite Iraq's various factions during his eight years in office. President Obama says U.S. airstrikes have broken an Islamic militants group's siege on a mountain in Iraq where civilians have sought refuge. Mr. Obama also said Thursday he does not believe an additional operation would be needed to evacuate the refugees targeted by the Islamic State for being members of Iraq's religious and ethnic minority. President Obama said U.S. airstrikes against the Islamic State would continue if the Sunni extremist group threatened U.S. personnel or facilities. We will continue airstrikes to protect our people and facilities in Iraq. We have increased the delivery of military assistance to Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting ISIL on the front lines. And perhaps most importantly, we are urging Iraqis to come together to turn the tide against ISIL above all by seizing the enormous opportunity of forming a new inclusive government under the leadership of Prime Minister-designate Abadi. President Obama has ruled out sending combat troops back to Iraq. As a people in Gaza, Southern Israel on Thursday enjoyed an extension of a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Egyptian mediators brokered a five-day extension of an existing truce to allow more negotiations in Cairo aimed at reaching a deal to end the war there in Gaza. Extension began at midnight Wednesday and is holding despite a brief overnight exchange of rockets and airstrikes. There were no reported casualties. Heavy shelling reported in the rebel-controlled parts of eastern Ukraine on Thursday. Meantime, Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow will do everything in its power to stop the conflict in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russia separatists and Ukrainian armed forces. The story from VOA's Gabe Joslow. In an address to Russian lawmakers Thursday, President Putin expressed his concern about the growing crisis in eastern Ukraine, saying the country has fallen into chaos and warning of a major humanitarian catastrophe. But Ukrainian leaders accuse Russia of continuing to send supplies to rebels fighting in eastern Ukraine through the porous border between the two countries. In a further escalation of tensions, a convoy of some 300 Russian trucks said to be carrying relief aid to residents of the east made its way to a rebel-controlled area of the border. Ukraine and its allies have voiced suspicion that the Russian humanitarian convoy could be a guise for further military intervention in the east. Gabe Joslow, VOA News, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Korean Air is suspending air travel to Kenya's part as of August 20, they say, as a measure to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus. Similar action was taken earlier this month by the Dubai carrier Emirates suspending air travel to Guinea. World Health Organization says it does not recommend a ban on air travel to and from Ebola-affected countries in West Africa. Lisa Schlein explains. The World Health Organization does not endorse a ban on travel or trade. It says air travel, even from Ebola-affected countries, poses an extremely low risk of transmission of the disease. WHO Director of Alert and Response, Isabelle Nuttall, says Ebola is not airborne like influenza or tuberculosis. She says the Ebola infection is passed on only through direct contact with a sick person's body fluid, such as blood, vomit, sweat, or diarrhea. Lisa Schlein, for VOA News, Geneva. Also in the news, the wife of actor-comedian Robin Williams says Parkinson's disease may have been a factor in her husband's apparent decision to commit suicide earlier this week. Susan Schneider says he was struggling with depression, anxiety, and the Parkinson's diagnosis when he was found dead Monday in their northern California home. Schneider said her husband was in the early stages of the disease, but she did not say when he was diagnosed. Get more news by going to our website at voanews.com. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,545 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-14T2230CDT-0300Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. Iraq's Maliki steps aside and backs new prime minister nominee Gaza and southern Israel quiet as truce extension holds. I'm Bill Michaels reporting from Washington. Embattled two-term Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says he is stepping aside and will support his nominated replacement. Mr. Maliki under enormous international pressure to step down announced his decision late Thursday in a nationally televised address. He pledged his support for nominee Hedeer al-Abdi. Mr. Maliki, a Shiite, has rapidly lost the support of the international community and is widely accused of failing to unite Iraq's fractious Sunni, Kurdish and Shiite communities during his eight-year tenure. Millions of people in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel on Thursday enjoyed an extension of a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Egyptian mediators brokered a five-day extension of an existing truce to allow for more negotiations in Cairo aimed at reaching a substantive deal to end the war in Gaza. The extension began at midnight Wednesday and has held despite a brief overnight exchange of rockets and airstrikes. There were no reported casualties. In Tel Aviv, thousands of people gathered Thursday to urge the Israeli government and military to stop Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has named Spanish diplomat Bernardino León as the special UN envoy to Libya, which is experiencing some of the bloodiest fighting since the 2011 fall of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi. In a statement Thursday, Mr. Ban said León will replace Tariq Matri of Lebanon, who has served as head of the UN political mission in Libya since 2012. President Barack Obama says the United States is committed to working with Sierra Leone, Liberia and its other international partners to help contain the Ebola outbreak that has led to more than 1,000 deaths in West Africa. The White House says Mr. Obama underscored his commitment on separate phone calls Thursday to the leaders of Liberia and Sierra Leone. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization says it does not recommend a ban on air travel to and from Ebola-affected countries in West Africa. The UN Health Agency says the risk of spread of the deadly disease in an airplane is extremely low. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from WHO headquarters in Geneva. The World Health Organization does not endorse a ban on travel or trade. It says air travel, even from Ebola-affected countries, poses an extremely low risk of the disease. WHO Director of Alert and Response Isabelle Nuttal says Ebola is not airborne like tuberculosis. On the small chance that someone is sick on a plane, the likelihood of other passengers and crew contact with their body fluids is even smaller. A person infected with Ebola can transmit the disease to another one only if he or she has the symptom of a disease. Lisa Schlein for VOA News, Geneva. Pope Francis said dialogue and not fruitless displays of force will help bring peace to the Korean Peninsula as he began a five-day visit to South Korea. Francis met with South Korean President Park Geun-hye after arriving in Seoul Thursday. Speaking in English, a rarity for the Spanish-speaking Pope, Francis said diplomacy is based on dialogue rather than accusations and threats. For diplomacy, as hard as possible, is based on the firm and persevering conviction that peace can be won through quiet listening and dialogue rather than by mutual recriminations, fruitless criticism and displays of force. He noted that Korea's quest for peace affects the stability of the entire region. Reporting from Washington, I'm Bill Michaels, VOA News. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 3,726 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T0705CDT-1200Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. Iraq's prime minister agrees to step aside. Ukrainian troops inspect purported Russian aid. I'm Dave DeForest reporting from Washington. Embattled two-term Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says he is stepping down and will support his chosen replacement. Mr. Maliki, under enormous international pressure, announced his decision late Thursday. European Union foreign ministers, meanwhile, are holding emergency talks in Brussels aimed at coming up with a unified plan to aid Kurds who are fighting Islamic extremists in Iraq. The EU is split on how to handle the crisis. Some nations, including Britain and France, have followed the U.S. in helping arm the outmanned Kurdish forces. For more on the story, visit our website, voanews.com. Ukraine says its border guards and customs officials have begun inspecting a convoy of Russian trucks that Russia says is carrying humanitarian aid for eastern Ukraine. Ukraine had refused to allow the nearly 300 trucks to enter the country for fear that Russia might use the convoy as a pretext for a full-scale invasion. Embattled two-term Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says he is stepping aside and will support his chosen replacement. The World Health Organization is warning that the magnitude of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has been underestimated. Already just under 1,100 people have died of Ebola this year in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. Nearly 2,000 have been sickened. In a statement Thursday, the U.N. health agency said it is concerned those numbers do not reflect the true gravity of the situation. Gunmen, suspected to be Boko Haram militants, have kidnapped about 100 men and boys from a remote village in northeastern Nigeria. Witnesses say the gunmen attacked the village of Dorno-Baga in Borno State on Sunday and killed several people before loading the men onto trucks and taking them away. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital today when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least five people were killed in the fighting in the Wadagir neighborhood of southwest Mogadishu. Residents told VOA they heard unusually heavy gunfire and explosions during the fight. Amid the recent spotlight on sexual violence in India, the Indian Prime Minister is calling on the country to pay more attention to how it raises its sons. In an Independence Day address to the nation, he also urged an end to communal violence. Anjana Pasricha reports. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort in the Indian capital Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country had been shamed by a series of rape cases. He said while the law will take its course, it was also the social responsibility of parents to teach boys the difference between right and wrong. The Indian leader says parents ask daughters so many questions when they go out, but never question sons about their actions. He says parents should take care to stop boys from going down the wrong path. Anjana Pasricha for VOA News, New Delhi. Violence broke out today in the Pakistani city of Gujranwala. The shots were fired at the vehicle carrying opposition leader Imran Khan as he led an anti-government march to the capital. The gunshots hit Khan's vehicle, but a spokeswoman said he was not hurt. A stone-throwing mob also attacked Khan's convoy. Pope Francis today said mass in front of tens of thousands of South Korean young people. He urged them to renounce the materialism found in much of Asia and to reject what he called the inhuman economic systems that disenfranchise the poor. Japan's prime minister has sent a symbolic offering to a controversial war shrine. That brought an immediate condemnation from South Korea and China. Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not visit the Yasukuni Shrine himself today, two of his cabinet ministers did. Thousands of people have held protest rallies across the United States in remembrance of a black teenager fatally shot by police in the state of Missouri. Vigils were held in nearly 100 cities on Thursday, observing a moment of silence for 18-year-old Michael Brown. Briefly looking at markets, Asia-Pacific stock markets closed mixed today. I'm Dave DeForest in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,352 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T0835CDT-1300Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. Iraq's prime minister agrees to step aside. Ukrainian troops inspect purported Russian aid. I'm Dave DeForest reporting from Washington. Ukraine says its border guards and customs officials have begun inspecting a convoy of Russian trucks that Russia says is carrying humanitarian aid for eastern Ukraine. Ukraine has refused to allow the nearly 300 trucks to enter the country for fear that Russia might use the convoy as a pretext for a full-scale invasion. The government said the convoy's goods would be permitted entry into Ukraine only after it was first inspected by the Red Cross. Embattled two-term Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says he is stepping aside and will support his chosen replacement. Mr. Maliki, under enormous international pressure, announced his decision late Thursday in a specially televised address. He pledged his full support for nominee Haider al-Abadi. European Union foreign ministers, meanwhile, are holding emergency talks in Brussels aimed at coming up with a unified plan to aid Kurds who are fighting Islamic extremists in Iraq. Catherine Ashton is the EU foreign affairs head. We are pleased to see there is Prime Minister-designate al-Abadi, and we do hope that we'll see greater political stability now in Iraq as they face the challenges from ISIS of their sweeping across parts of northern and western Iraq. The EU is split on how to handle the crisis. Some nations, including Britain and France, are joining the U.S. and helping arm the outmanned Kurdish forces. For more on this story, visit our website voanews.com. The head of the International Medical Aid Group says the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is moving faster than relief experts can respond to it. Doctors Without Borders president Joanne Liu says the situation in the affected countries feels like wartime because of fear over the virus. She also predicted that it would take about six months to get the epidemic under control. Thailand is cracking down on a thriving but legally dubious industry where infertile foreign couples pay Thai women to bear children. Steve Herman takes a look. Any foreigners leaving Thailand with children born to surrogate mothers here must now produce a court order verifying legal custody. That was confirmed Friday to VOA by the Chief of Immigration Bureau's Division 2 Police Major General Swichpal Imjadak. This comes after the leader of the military junta governing Thailand said negative publicity about surrogacy babies has led to the country being portrayed in a bad light. Thailand's foreign ministry confirms that at least one couple from Australia was stopped Thursday at a Bangkok airport and prevented from leaving the country with babies born to Thai women. Steve Herman, VOA News, Bangkok. Shots broke out today in the Pakistani city of Gujranwala. Shots were fired at the vehicle carrying opposition leader Imran Khan as he led an anti-government march to the capital. The gunshots hit Khan's vehicle, but his spokeswoman said he was not hurt. A stone-throwing mob also attacked Khan's convoy. India's new prime minister says a wave of rape cases has shamed the country. Narendra Modi, in a speech during an annual Independence Day celebration, urged parents to take responsibility for the actions of their sons, teaching them the difference between right and wrong. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital today when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least five people were killed in the fighting in the Wadagere neighborhood of southwest Mogadishu. Militants suspected to be Boko Haram militants have kidnapped around 100 men and boys from a remote village in northeastern Nigeria. Witnesses say the gunmen attacked the village of Dornobaga in Borno State on Sunday and killed several people before loading the men onto trucks. Pope Francis today said mass in front of tens of thousands of South Korean young people. He urged them to renounce the materialism found in much of Asia and to reject what he called inhuman economic systems that disenfranchise the poor. The pope spoke today at a soccer stadium in the city of Dijon and before the mass, Pope Francis met with the families and victims of some survivors of the Sewol Ferry disaster in April. I'm Dave DeForest in Washington. That's the latest world news from BOA. | 4,406 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T1018CDT-1400Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. News reports suggest some Russian troops may have crossed into Ukraine. The European Union discusses aid to Kurdish forces in Iraq. I'm Dave DeForest reporting from Washington. Ukrainian officials say they have begun inspecting a Russian convoy that Russia says is carrying humanitarian aid for people in eastern Ukraine. The government is worried that Russia may try to use the convoy to launch an invasion or rearm pro-Russian rebels. Those concerns were heightened today when British media reported a large column of Russian armored personnel carriers and other vehicles crossed the border into Ukraine. The Telegraph and The Guardian say the Russian army vehicles were seen about 30 kilometers from where the Russian aid convoy is stopped for inspections. Neither Russian nor Ukrainian officials have confirmed the reports. Embattled two-term Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says he is stepping aside and will support his chosen replacement, Haider al-Abadi. European Union foreign ministers, meanwhile, are holding emergency talks in Brussels today aimed at coming up with a unified plan to aid Kurds who are fighting Islamic extremists in Iraq. For more on this story, visit our website voamuse.com. The head of an international medical aid group says Ebola outbreak in West Africa is moving faster than relief workers can respond to it. Doctors Without Borders president Joanne Liu says the situation in the affected countries feels like wartime because of fear over the virus. She also predicted it would take about six months to get the epidemic under control. Amid the recent spotlight on sexual violence in India, the Indian Prime Minister called on the country to pay more attention to how it raises its sons. In an Independence Day address to the nation, he urged an end to communal violence. Anjana Pasricha reports. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort in the Indian capital Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country had been shamed by a series of rape cases. He said while the law will take its course, it was also the social responsibility of parents to teach boys the difference between right and wrong. The Indian leader says parents ask daughters so many questions when they go out, but never question sons about their actions. He says parents should take care to stop boys from going down the wrong path. Anjana Pasricha for VOA News, New Delhi. Gunshots broke out today in the Pakistani city of Gujranwala. Shots were fired at the vehicle carrying opposition leader Imran Khan as he led an anti-government march to the capital. The gunshots hit Khan's vehicle, but his spokeswoman said he was not hurt. A stone-throwing mob also attacked Khan's convoy. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital today when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least 10 people were killed in the fighting in the Wadagir neighborhood in southwest Mogadishu. Residents there tell VOA they heard unusually heavy gunfire and explosions during the fight. Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram militants have kidnapped around 100 men and boys from a remote village in northeastern Nigeria. Witnesses say the gunmen attacked the village of Dornobaga in Borno State on Sunday and killed several people before loading the men and boys onto trucks and taking them away. Pope Francis today said mass in front of tens of thousands of South Korean young people. He urged them to renounce the materialism found in much of Asia and to reject what he called inhuman economic systems that disenfranchised the poor. Japan's prime minister has sent a symbolic offering to a controversial war shrine. That act brought immediate condemnation from South Korea and China. Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not visit the Yasukuni Shrine himself today, two of his cabinet ministers did. Thousands of people have held protest rallies across the United States in remembrance of a black teenager fatally shot by a police officer in the state of Missouri. Vigils were held in nearly 100 cities on Thursday, observing a moment of silence for 18-year-old Michael Brown. Briefly looking at market activities, Asia Pacific stock markets were mixed at the close of trade today. In Washington, I'm Dave DeForest. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,382 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T1029CDT-1500Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. News reports suggest some Russian troops may have crossed into Ukraine. The European Union discusses aid to Kurdish forces in Iraq. I'm Dave DeForest reporting from Washington. Ukrainian officials say they have begun inspecting a Russian convoy that Russia says is carrying humanitarian aid for people in eastern Ukraine. The government is worried that Russia may try to use the convoy to launch an invasion or rearm pro-Russian rebels. Those concerns were heightened today when British media reported a large column of Russian armed personnel carriers and other vehicles cross the border into Ukraine. The Telegraph and The Guardian say the Russian army vehicles were seen about 30 kilometers from where the Russian aid convoy is stopped for inspections. Philip Hammond is the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. I'm very alarmed by reports that Russian military vehicles may have crossed the border this morning. Of course, the humanitarian convoy itself is a separate issue, but if there are any Russian military personnel or vehicles in eastern Ukraine, they need to be withdrawn immediately or the consequences could be very serious. Neither Russian nor Ukrainian officials are confirming reports. European Union foreign ministers are holding emergency talks aimed at forming a unified response to helping Kurdish forces fight Islamic extremists in Iraq. The meeting in Brussels comes a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki gave in to international pressure to step aside and support his nominated replacement, Haider al-Abadi. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Friday ahead of the minister's meeting that the bloc is pleased about the presence of Mr. al-Abadi and hopes to see greater political stability now in Iraq. For more on that story, take a look at our website, voanews.com. The head of an international medical aid group says the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is moving faster than relief workers can respond. Doctors Without Borders president Joanne Liu says the situation in the affected countries feels like wartime because of fear over the virus. She also predicted it would take about six months to get the epidemic under control. Thailand is cracking down on a thriving but legally dubious industry where infertile foreign couples pay Thai women to bear children. Steve Herman reports. Any foreigners leaving Thailand with children born to surrogate mothers here must now produce a court order verifying legal custody. That was confirmed Friday to VOA by the chief of Immigration Bureau's Division 2 police Major General Swichpul Imjaitak. This comes after the leader of the military junta governing Thailand said negative publicity about surrogacy babies has led to the country being portrayed in a bad light. Thailand's foreign ministry confirms that at least one couple from Australia was stopped Thursday at a Bangkok airport and prevented from leaving the country with babies born to Thai women. Steve Herman, VOA News, Bangkok. Guns broke out today in the Pakistani city of Gujranwala and shots were fired at a vehicle carrying opposition leader Imran Khan as he led an anti-government march to the capital. The gunshots hit Khan's vehicle but his spokeswoman said he was not hurt. A stone-throwing mob also attacked Khan's convoy. India's new prime minister says a wave of rape cases has shamed the country. Narendra Modi, in a speech during the annual Independence Day celebration, urged parents to take responsibility for the actions of their sons. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital today when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least 10 people were killed in the fighting in the Wadagere neighborhood in southwest Mogadishu. Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram militants have kidnapped about 100 men and boys from a remote village in northeastern Nigeria. Witnesses say the gunmen attacked the village of Dornobaga in Borno State on Sunday, killed several people and then loaded men and boys onto trucks, taking them away. Pope Francis today said mass in front of tens of thousands of South Korean young people. He urged them to renounce materialism found in much of Asia. Japan's prime minister has sent a symbolic offering to a controversial war shrine, an act that brought immediate condemnation from South Korea and China. Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not visit the Yakusuni shrine himself today, two of his cabinet members did. Asia-Pacific stock markets were mixed at the close of today's trading sessions. I'm Dave DeForest in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,692 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T1059CDT-from-live-aircheck.txt | Stay tuned for African news tonight, coming up right after these latest world news headlines. New fighting breaks out in Somalia. An aid group says it will take six months to get the Ebola epidemic under control. I'm Dave DeForest reporting from Washington. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital today when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least 10 people were killed in the fighting in the Wadagir neighborhood in southwest Mogadishu. Residents in Wadagir said that they heard unusually heavy gunfire and explosions during the fight. The ex-warlord, Ahmed Hassan Adaw, told VOA's Somali service that clashes between the government forces began when government forces attacked his house before dawn. The AU force says it was trying to secure an arms cache near the warlord's home when his militia attacked them. The AFP news service meanwhile is reporting that security forces stormed a major radio station critical of the fighting and arrested journalists. The head of the International Medical Group says the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is moving faster than relief workers can respond to it. Doctors Without Borders president Joanne Lew says the situation in the affected countries feels like wartime because of fear over the virus. She predicted that it would take about six months to get the epidemic under control. She spoke Friday in Geneva. The Associated Press says an unnamed Egyptian government official puts the death toll in the latest violence between supporters and opponents of ousted president Mohamed Morsi at two. Other reports indicate the number may be three. The official said today's fighting between protesters happened in the Giza district of Cairo. Four policemen were wounded. Four people were killed on Thursday. The Associated Press reports new violence broke out today in South Sudan. Aid workers took cover for a while when they heard the sounds of fighting in Nairobi. They then said they resumed aid work for the thousands of people who have fled violence between government forces and rebels. The Associated Press says dozens of riot police raided the offices of a newspaper critical of the government. A police spokesman said he was worried that the paper could cause confusion at a time when the government is trying to cope with the Ebola outbreak. The National Chronicle and its publisher, Filibert Brown, accused President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of corruption. Police officials tried to detain Brown during the raid. He has been ordered to report for questioning. The Associated Press reports Olympic and government officials are banning three athletes from the area of Africa affected by the Ebola virus from competing in the Youth Olympics. The games are scheduled to begin Saturday in the Chinese city of Nanjing. All athletes from four West African nations will be required to have their temperatures taken regularly and undergo physical assessments. The three who were banned were to take part in combat or aquatic events, sports in which no athletes from Ebola areas will be allowed to compete for safety reasons. The Ukrainian government says its troops have destroyed military vehicles that crossed the border from Russia into eastern Ukraine. The office of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Ukraine destroyed a significant portion of the military column. British media had reported that a large column of Russian armored personnel carriers and other vehicles crossed the border into Ukraine. The Telegraph and the Guardian newspaper said the Russian army vehicles were seen about 30 kilometers from where a Russian aid convoy was stopped for inspections. Ukrainian officials said they have begun inspecting the Russian aid convoy, which Russia says is carrying humanitarian aid for war-torn eastern Ukraine. European Union foreign ministers are holding emergency talks aimed at forming a unified response to helping Kurds fight Islamic extremists in Iraq. The meeting in Brussels comes a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki gave into international pressure to step aside and support his nominated replacement, Haider al-Abadi. Pope Francis said mass in front of tens of thousands of South Korean young people today. He urged them to renounce the materialism found in much of Asia and to reject what he called the inhuman economic systems that disenfranchise the poor. I'm Dave DeForest in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,496 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T1116CDT-1600Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. New fighting breaks out in Somalia. An aid group says it will take six months to get the Ebola epidemic under control. I'm Dave DeForest reporting from Washington. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital today when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least 10 people were killed in the fighting in the Wadagir neighborhood in southwest Mogadishu. Residents in Wadagir said that they heard unusually heavy gunfire and explosions during the fight. The ex-warlord, Ahmed Hassan Adaw, told VOA's Somali service that clashes between the government forces began when the, began rather when government forces attacked his house before dawn. The AU4 says it was trying to secure an arms cache near the warlord's home when his militia attacked them. The AFP News Service meanwhile is reporting that security forces stormed a major radio station critical of the fighting and arrested journalists. The head of the International Medical Group says the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is moving faster than relief workers can respond to it. Doctors Without Borders President Joanne Lewis says the situation in the affected countries feels like wartime because of fear over the virus. She predicted that it would take about six months to get the epidemic under control. She spoke Friday in Geneva. The Associated Press says an unnamed Egyptian government official puts the death toll in the latest violence between supporters and opponents of ousted President Mohamed Morsi at two. Other reports indicate the number may be three. The official said today's fighting between protesters happened in the Giza district of Cairo. Four policemen were wounded, four people were killed on Thursday. The Associated Press reports new violence broke out today in South Sudan. Aid workers took cover for a while when they heard the sounds of fighting in Nairobi. They then said they resumed aid work for the thousands of people who have fled violence between government forces and rebels. The Associated Press says dozens of riot police raided the offices of a newspaper critical of the government. A police spokesman said he was worried that the paper could cause confusion at a time when the government is trying to cope with the Ebola outbreak. The National Chronicle and its publisher, Filibert Brown, accused President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of corruption. Police officials tried to detain Brown during the raid. He has been ordered to report for questioning. The Associated Press reports Olympic and government officials are banning three athletes from the area of Africa affected by the Ebola virus from competing in the Youth Olympics. The games are scheduled to begin Saturday in the Chinese city of Nanjing. All athletes from four West African nations will be required to have their temperatures taken regularly and undergo physical assessments. The three who were banned were to take part in combat or aquatic events, sports in which no athletes from Ebola areas will be allowed to compete for safety reasons. The Ukrainian government says its troops have destroyed military vehicles that cross the border from Russia into eastern Ukraine. The office of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Ukraine destroyed a significant portion of the military column. British media had reported that a large column of Russian armored personnel carriers and other vehicles crossed the border into Ukraine. The Telegraph and the Guardian newspaper said the Russian army vehicles were seen about 30 kilometers from where a Russian aid convoy was stopped for inspections. Ukrainian officials said they have begun inspecting the Russian aid convoy, which Russia says is carrying humanitarian aid for war-torn eastern Ukraine. European Union foreign ministers are holding emergency talks aimed at forming a unified response to helping Kurds fight Islamic extremists in Iraq. The meeting in Brussels comes a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki gave in to international pressure to step aside and support his nominated replacement, Haider al-Abadi. Pope Francis said mass in front of tens of thousands of South Korean young people today. He urged them to renounce the materialism found in much of Asia and to reject what he called the inhuman economic systems that disenfranchise the poor. I'm Dave DeForest in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,456 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T1309CDT-1700Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. Ukraine says it has attacked Russian forces inside Ukraine. The European Union discusses aid to Kurdish forces in Iraq. I'm Dave DeForest reporting from Washington. The Ukrainian government says its troops have destroyed military vehicles that crossed the border from Russia into eastern Ukraine. The Office of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Ukraine destroyed a significant portion of a military column. British media had reported that a large column of Russian armored personnel carriers and other vehicles crossed the border into Ukraine. The Telegraph and Guardian newspaper said the Russian army vehicles were seen about 30 kilometers from where a Russian aid convoy was stopped for inspections. Ukrainian officials have said they have begun inspecting the Russian aid convoy, which Russia says is carrying aid for war-torn eastern Ukraine. Ukraine has voiced concern that Russia may be trying to use the convoy to launch an invasion or rearm pro-Russian rebels who have suffered recent losses. Russia has denied the allegations. Ukrainian forces say they have taken the rebel-held city of Ilovaisk. Battalion commander Seyan Simchenko says the rebels were attacked by artillery twice today. He said more than 150 rebel fighters died in the fighting. European Union foreign ministers are holding emergency talks aimed at forming a unified response to helping Kurdish forces fight Islamic extremists in Iraq. The meeting in Brussels comes a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki gave into international pressure to step aside and support his nominated replacement, Haider al-Abadi. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said today, ahead of the meeting, that the bloc is pleased about the presence of Mr. al-Abadi and hopes to see greater political stability now in Iraq. For more on that story, take a look at our website, voanews.com. The president of Doctors Without Borders warns the number of confirmed Ebola cases and deaths is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. The chief of the medical aid group says it will take at least six months to bring the epidemic in West Africa under control. Lisa Schlein reports. The head of Doctors Without Borders, Joanne Liu, spoke to reporters after returning from a 10-day visit to Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. She says the Ebola epidemic raging in these three countries makes them feel like wartime. She says the fear is palpable and nobody understands what is going on. Liu says there has been a total collapse of infrastructure in the Ebola-affected countries since the disease was first discovered in Guinea in March, while infections in both Sierra Leone and Liberia continue to grow at a steady rate. She says the situation in Liberia is the most dangerous. Lisa Schlein, Geneva. Violence broke out today in the Pakistani city of Gujranwala. Shots were fired at the vehicle carrying opposition leader Imran Khan as he led an anti-government march to the capital. The gunshots hit Khan's vehicle, but his spokeswoman said he was not hurt. Military fighting broke out in the Somali capital today when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least 10 people were killed in the fighting in the Wadagere neighborhood of southwest Mogadishu. Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram militants have kidnapped about 100 men and boys from a remote village in northeastern Nigeria. The gunman attacked the village of Dornobaga in Borno State on Sunday and killed several people before loading the men and boys onto trucks and taking them away. Pope Francis today said mass in front of tens of thousands of South Korean young people. He urged them to renounce the materialism found in much of Asia and to reject what he called inhuman economic systems that disenfranchise the poor. Khan's prime minister has sent a symbolic offering to a controversial war shrine, an act that brought immediate condemnation from South Korea and China. Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not visit the Yakusuni Shrine himself today, two of his cabinet ministers did. Asia-Pacific stock markets closed mixed today. I'm Dave DeForest in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,247 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T1322CDT-1800Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. New fighting breaks out in Somalia. An aid group says it will take six months to get the Ebola epidemic under control. I'm Dave DeForest in Washington. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital today when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least ten people were killed in the fighting in the Wadagir neighborhood in southwest Mogadishu. Residents of the neighborhood told VOA they heard unusually heavy gunfire and explosions during the fight. Gunmen suspected of being Boko Haram militants have kidnapped around a hundred people from villages in far northeastern Nigeria near the shores of Lake Chad. Witnesses say the gunmen raided villages Sunday in the remote Dora Baga region of Borno State where they rounded up civilians and set houses on fire. They said at least 26 people were killed during the attack. The witnesses spoke to journalists today. There was no initial claim of responsibility for the attack. The head of a medical aid group says the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is moving faster than relief workers can respond to it. Doctors Without Borders president Joanne Liu says the situation in the affected countries feels like wartime because of fear over the virus. The Associated Press says an unnamed Egyptian government official puts the death toll in the latest violence between supporters and opponents of ousted President Mohamed Morsi at two. Other reports indicate the number may be three. The official said today's fighting between protesters happened in the Giza district of Cairo and that four policemen were wounded. The Associated Press says dozens of riot police raided the offices of a newspaper critical of the government. A police spokesman said was quoted as saying he was worried that the paper could cause confusion at a time when the government is trying to cope with the Ebola outbreak. The National Chronicle and its publisher, Filibert Brown, accused President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of corruption. Police officials tried to detain Brown during the raid. He has been ordered to report for questioning. The Associated Press reports Olympic and government officials are banning three athletes from the area of Africa affected by the Ebola virus from competing in the Youth Olympics. The games are scheduled to begin Saturday in the Chinese city of Nanjing. All athletes from four West African nations will be required to have their temperatures taken regularly and undergo physical assessments. The three who were banned were to take part in combat hour aquatic events, sports in which no athletes from Ebola areas will be allowed to compete for safety reasons. Thousands of people have held protests, protest rallies, I should say, across the United States in remembrance of a black teenager fatally shot by a police officer in the state of Missouri. Vigils were held in nearly a hundred cities Thursday, observing a moment of silence for 18 year old Michael Brown. Pope Francis today said mass in front of tens of thousands of South Korean young people. He urged them to renounce the materialism found in much of Asia and to reject what he called inhuman economic systems that disenfranchise the poor. Russia has denied reports that a column of Russian military vehicles crossed into Ukraine late Thursday and was destroyed by Ukrainian troops. A spokesman for Russia's defense ministry told reporters for Russian news outlets no Russian military convoy had crossed into Ukraine. The Ukrainian government says a military column from Russia did cross into eastern Ukraine. The office of Ukraine's president, Petro Poroshenko, posted on its website that Ukraine destroyed a significant portion of the military column. Emerging from a meeting on Friday, European Union ministers issued a statement urging Russia to put an immediate stop to all forms of hostilities near the Ukrainian border. And a spokesman for the United Nations said the UN is aware of the reports but has not verified them independently. European Union foreign ministers are holding emergency talks aimed at forming a unified response to helping Kurdish forces fight Islamic extremists in Iraq. The meeting in Brussels comes a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki gave in to international pressure to step aside and support his nominated replacement, Haider al-Abadi. On Wall Street, U.S. stock indexes are down at this hour. I'm Dave DeForest in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,532 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T1502CDT-1900Z.txt | The death toll from Ebola rises above 1,100. Russia denies the latest reports of its military entering into Ukraine. The World Health Organization says the number of people who have died from Ebola in West Africa has risen to 1,145. The UN agency says on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week it received reports of 152 new suspected and confirmed cases of the virus. In a Friday statement, the WHO also said 76 more deaths had been reported during the same time period, the majority in Liberia. Joanne Liu is the president of Doctors Without Borders. She just returned from West Africa and said it felt like wartime as she visited the affected countries. I have the feeling that it is like a wartime in terms of fear, general fear all over where you are, nobody not understanding what's going on. Liu predicts it would take about six months to get the epidemic under control. Russia has denied reports that a column of Russian military vehicles crossed into Ukraine late Thursday and was destroyed by Ukrainian troops. A spokesman for Russia's Defense Ministry told reporters for Russian news outlets that No Russian military convoy has crossed into Ukraine. The Ukrainian government says a military column from Russia did cross into eastern Ukraine. The office of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko posted on its website that Ukraine destroyed a significant portion of the military column. European Union foreign ministers are holding emergency talks aimed at forming a unified response to helping Kurdish forces fight Islamic extremists in Iraq. The meeting in Brussels comes a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki gave international pressure to step aside and support his nominated replacement Haider al-Abadi. In Iraq, aid agencies are scaling up humanitarian operations in response to the recent UN declaration that the displacement crisis in the country has reached its highest level of emergency. An estimated 1.2 million people have fled their homes this year to escape attacks by the militant group known as the Islamic State. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva. The United Nations equates the crisis in Iraq with those unfolding in Syria, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. UN refugee spokesman Dan McNorton calls this a very fluid, rapidly evolving situation. He says the refugees arrive in extremely bad shape. He says they have been forced to walk a long time in searing heat and are exhausted and dehydrated when they arrive. He tells VOA finding shelter for these people is critical. Lisa Schlein for VOA News, Geneva. More on these stories at VOAnews.com. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital today when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least 10 people were killed in the fighting in the Wadatjir neighborhood in southwest Mogadishu. Pope Francis today said mass in front of tens of thousands of South Korean young people. He urged them to renounce the materialism found in much of Asia and to reject what he called inhuman economic systems that disenfranchise the poor. The pope spoke at a soccer stadium in the city of Addition. Before the mass, Pope Francis met with families of victims and some survivors of the Sewol Ferry disaster in April. Thousands of people have held rallies, held protest rallies across the United States in remembrance of a black teenager fatally shot by a police officer in the state of Missouri. Vigils were held in nearly 100 cities Thursday observing a moment of silence for 18-year-old Michael Brown. The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog will visit Iran Sunday in an apparent push for progress in a long-running investigation into suspicions Iran has worked to develop nuclear weapons. The Ukiah Amanos trip comes ahead of an August 25 deadline for Iran to answer allegations about its disputed nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency announced the trip on Friday, saying it is part of the efforts to advance dialogue and cooperation with Iran. People in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel are enjoying an extended ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Israeli troops on the border remained watchful Friday, with a five-day truce apparently still holding up. Egyptian mediators hope the ceasefire will allow time for negotiators in Cairo to reach an agreement on ending the fighting. There's more on these and many other stories at VOANews.com. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,507 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T1712CDT-2100Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. Kurdish forces in Iraq are to receive additional arms assistance. Ebola death total exceeds 1,100. I'm Vincent Roos reporting from Washington. European Union leaders have approved sending arms to Kurdish forces who are battling Islamic extremists in northern Iraq. At an emergency meeting in Brussels Friday, EU foreign ministers did not agree that all member states would send weapons, but welcomed the decision by individual countries to do so. France has already armed the Kurds. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says London will likely also send weapons. Hammond predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a resolution pushed by Britain that threatens sanctions against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist insurgency. This will be a major step forward in showing the commitment of the international community to stamping out this threat and to supporting the new Iraqi government of Mr. al-Abadi. The meeting in Brussels came a day after embattled Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki gave in to international pressure to step aside and support his nominated replacement Haider al-Abadi. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Friday, ahead of the minister's meeting, that the bloc is pleased about the presence of Mr. al-Abadi and hopes to see greater political stability now in Iraq. Meanwhile, aid agencies are scaling up humanitarian operations in response to the recent UN declaration that the displacement crisis in Iraq has reached its highest level of emergency. An estimated 1.2 million people have fled their homes this year to escape attacks by the militant group known as the Islamic State. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva. The United Nations equates the crisis in Iraq with those unfolding in Syria, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. UN refugee spokesman Dan McNorton calls this a very fluid, rapidly evolving situation. He says the refugees arrive in extremely bad shape. He says they have been forced to walk a long time in searing heat and are exhausted and dehydrated when they arrive. He tells VOA finding shelter for these people is critical. Lisa Schlein for VOA News, Geneva. The World Health Organization now says the number of people who have died from Ebola in West Africa has risen to 1,145. Doctors Without Borders president Joanne Lu, who has just returned from West Africa, said it felt like wartime as she visited the affected countries. I had the feeling that it is like a wartime in terms of fear, general fear all over where you are, nobody not understanding what's going on. She also said the magnitude of the outbreak had created stress in health care centers. Like in a wartime is the fact that we have a total collapse of infrastructure in some places more than others. Lu predicted it would take about six months to get the epidemic under control. WHO says the overall number of Ebola cases has risen to more than 2,100. Russia has denied reports that a column of Russian military vehicles crossed into Ukraine late Thursday and were destroyed by Ukrainian troops. The Ukrainian government said Friday that a military column from Russia did cross into eastern Ukraine. The office of Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko posted on its website Friday that Ukraine destroyed a significant portion of the military column. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager who's shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protests was a robbery suspect. The police chief of the town of Ferguson, Thomas Jackson, Friday released police reports including video surveillance footage that they said showed 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk on August 9th. The report says Brown left with a box of cigars. He was later shot by the police officer responding to an emergency medical call. The news conference Friday, Chief Jackson said the officer initially stopped Brown because the teenager was blocking traffic as he walked down the street. Violence broke out today in the Pakistani city of Gujranwala as shots were fired at the vehicle carrying opposition leader Imran Khan leading an anti-government march to the capital. The gunshots hit Khan's vehicle but his spokeswoman said he was not hurt. A stone-throwing mob also attacked Khan's convoy. Yukia Amano, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, will visit Iran Sunday. In an apparent push for progress and a long-running investigation into suspicions, Iran has worked to develop nuclear weapons. In stocks in the U.S., stocks were mixed on Friday. The Dow Jones was down, the S&P 500 down, and the Nasdaq was up four points. More at voanews.com. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,808 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T1724CDT-2200Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. EU leaders support additional arms for Kurdish fighters in Iraq. Ebola deaths reportedly top 1100, with more than 2000 infected. I'm Vincent Bruce reporting from Washington. Friday, European Union governments agreed to support individual country decisions to arm Kurdish fighters taking on Islamist state militants in Iraq. They also offered strong backing for the new Iraqi government. From Paris, Lisa Bryant has more for VOA on the outcome of an EU foreign ministers meeting. Meeting in Brussels on Friday, the European Union foreign ministers endorsed decisions by individual EU members to send weapons to Iraqi Kurds who are fighting well-armed Islamic state fighters. Speaking after the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expressed satisfaction with the results. For his part, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said London would consider favorably a request to supply arms to Kurdish forces. He also predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a resolution pushed by Britain that threatens sanctions against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist insurgency. Lisa Bryant for VOA News, Paris. The World Health Organization says the number of people who have died from Ebola in West Africa has risen to 1,145. Doctors Without Borders President Joanne Lu, who has just returned from West Africa, said it felt like wartime as she visited the affected countries. The United Nations equates... I really had the feeling that it is like a wartime in terms of fear, general fear all over where you are, nobody not understanding what's going on. She also said the magnitude of the outbreak had created stress in health care centers. Like in a wartime is the fact that we have a total collapse of infrastructure in some places more than others. The WHO says the overall number of Ebola cases has risen to more than 2,100. Thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in the Pakistani capital Islamabad late Friday to protest the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The protests, led by opposition leader Imran Khan and Muslim cleric Tahir ul Qadri, constitute the biggest challenge yet to Mr. Sharif's year-old government. Khan and Qadri say the government is corrupt. The protests followed clashes earlier in the day in the city of Gujranwala after gunshots were fired at Khan's vehicle as he led an anti-government march to Islamabad. Spokesman says he was not hurt. Russia has denied reports that a column of Russian military vehicles crossed into Ukraine late Thursday and were destroyed by Ukrainian troops. A spokesman for Russia's Defense Ministry told reporters for Russian news outlets that no Russian military convoy has crossed into Ukraine, as Kiev claims. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager who's shooting death by police officers sparked days of protests was a robbery suspect. The police chief of the town of Ferguson, Thomas Jackson, Friday, released police reports including video surveillance footage that they said showed 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk on August 9th. The report says Brown left with a box of cigars. He was later shot by the officer responding to an emergency medical call. In Mogadishu, heavy fighting broke out Friday between Somali government forces supported by African troops and a militia loyal to a former warlord. Security officials say more than 10 people died in the fighting and a dozen others were arrested for VOA, Mohamed Yousouf reports. Residents in the Wadidjid neighborhood of southwest Mogadishu were awakened Friday by heavy gunfire. Cannon Ali Adan Humed, a spokesman for the African Union force Amisom, told VOA his troops and Somali forces were trying to secure an arms cage near the home of former warlord Ahmed Hassan Ado when Ado's militia attacked. The ex-warlord, also known as Ahmed Dai, told VOA's Somali service the clashes began when government forces attacked his home before dawn. Mohamed Yousouf, for VOA News, Nairobi. Pope Francis today said mass in front of tens of thousands of South Korean young people. He urged them to renounce the materialism found in much of Asia and reject what he called inhuman economic systems that disenfranchise the poor. In stocks mixed across the board on Friday, the Dow and the S&P were down, the Nasdaq was up. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,479 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T1845CDT-2300Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. Russian officials deny new reports of military in Ukraine. European Union leaders approve additional arms to Kurdish fighters. I'm Vincent Brice reporting from Washington. The Pentagon says Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shurgul has assured US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that no Russian military personnel are part of a humanitarian convoy being inspected at the Ukraine border. That's according to Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby, who said Friday that he discussed the situation in Ukraine by phone on Friday. The Pentagon spokesman also said Shurgul acknowledged the goods would be delivered under the International Committee of the Red Cross. Also Friday, Russia is denying reports that a column of Russian military vehicles crossed into eastern Ukraine late Thursday and was destroyed by Ukrainian troops. A spokesman for Russia's Defense Ministry said no. Russian military convoy crossed into Ukraine, as Kiev claims. European Union leaders Friday approved sending arms to Kurdish forces who are battling Islamic extremists in northern Iraq. At an emergency meeting in Brussels, EU foreign ministers welcomed the decision by individual countries to send weapons. France is also arming the Kurds. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says London will likely also send weapons, while German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says Germany will do whatever is legally and politically possible. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a resolution pushed by Britain that fetters sanctions against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist insurgency. This will be a major step forward in showing the commitment of the international community to stamping out this threat and to supporting the new Iraqi government of Mr. al-Abadi. Aid agencies are scaling up humanitarian operations in response to the recent U.N. declaration that the displacement crisis in Iraq has reached its highest level of emergency. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva. The United Nations equates the crisis in Iraq with those unfolding in Syria, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. U.N. refugee spokesman Dan McNorton calls this a very fluid, rapidly evolving situation. He says the refugees arrive in extremely bad shape. He says they have been forced to walk a long time in searing heat and are exhausted and dehydrated when they arrive. He tells VOA finding shelter for these people is critical. Lisa Schlein for VOA News, Geneva. The World Health Organization says the number of people who have died from Ebola in West Africa has risen to 1,145. The U.N. agency says on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week it received reports of 152 new suspected and confirmed cases of the virus. Joanne Liu, president of Doctors Without Borders, just returned from West Africa. She said it felt like wartime as she visited the affected countries. I really had the feeling that it is like a wartime in terms of fear, general fear all over where you are, nobody not understanding what's going on. Liu predicts it would take about six months to get the epidemic under control. Thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in the Pakistani capital late Friday as two large anti-government groups arrived to stage protests aimed at unseating the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. A protest in Islamabad led by opposition leader Imran Khan and Muslim cleric Tahir Qadri constitute the biggest challenge yet to Mr. Sharif's year-old government. Khan and Qadri say the government is corrupt. Earlier Friday clashes broke out in the city of Gujranwala after gunshots were fired at Khan's vehicle as he led an anti-government march to Islamabad. The spokeswoman said he was not hurt. Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram militants reportedly kidnapped around 100 people from villages in far northeastern Nigeria near the shores of Lake Chad. Witnesses say the gunmen raided villages Sunday in the remote Aranbaga region of Borno State where they rounded up civilians and set homes on fire. They said at least 26 people were killed during the attack. The witnesses spoke to journalists on Friday after fleeing their homes and making their way to the state capitol, Maiduguri. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unnamed black teenager who's shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protests was a robbery suspect. More on these state details at VOAnews.com. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,527 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T1924CDT-0000Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. EU leaders support additional arms for Kurdish fighters in Iraq. Enable the deaths reportedly top 1,100. I'm Vincent Bruce reporting from Washington. Friday, European Union governments agreed to support individual country decisions to arm Kurdish fighters taking on Islamist state militants in Iraq. They also offered strong backings for the new Iraqi government. From Paris, Lisa Bryant has more for VOA on the outcome of an EU foreign ministers meeting. Meeting in Brussels on Friday, the European Union foreign ministers endorsed decisions by individual EU members to send weapons to Iraqi Kurds who are fighting well-armed Islamic state fighters. Speaking after the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expressed satisfaction with the results. For his part, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said London would consider favorably a request to supply arms to Kurdish forces. He also predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a resolution pushed by Britain that threatens sanctions against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist insurgency. Lisa Bryant for VOA News, Paris. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Powers, says the resolution shows the council's sense of urgency about the matter and said the Islamic militants are a grave threat to the region and the international community. The Pentagon says Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has assured U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that no Russian military personnel are part of a humanitarian convoy that is being inspected at the Ukraine border. Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said Friday the two discussed the situation in Ukraine by phone on Friday. Meanwhile, Russia is denying reports that a column of Russian military vehicles crossed into eastern Ukraine late Thursday and was destroyed by Ukrainian troops. Jamie Dettmer has more. Ukraine's president said Friday his country's armed forces had destroyed part of a Russian military column that had crossed the border in an escalation of the conflict over Ukraine's Aburikowai eastern regions. The self-styled prime minister for the Republic of the Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Zarchenko, told BOA the claim is untrue and the pro-Moscow separatists hit a Ukrainian military column, seizing weapons in the clash. Jamie Dettmer, BOA News, Donetsk. The World Health Organization says the number of people who have died from Ebola in West Africa has risen to 1,145. Doctors Without Borders president Joanne Lu has just returned from West Africa. She said it felt like wartime as she visited the affected countries. I really had the feeling that it is like a wartime in terms of fear, general fear all over where you are, nobody not understanding what's going on. Lu predicted it would take about six months to get the epidemic under control. The WHO says the overall number of Ebola cases has risen to more than 2,100. Thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in the Pakistani capital Islamabad late Friday to protest the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The protests, led by opposition leader Imran Khan and Muslim cleric Dakhir al-Qadri, constitute the biggest challenge yet to Mr. Sharif's year-old government. Khan and Qadri say the government is corrupt. In Mogadishu, heavy fighting broke out Friday between Somali government forces, supported by African Union troops, and a militia loyal to a former warlord. Security officials say more than 10 people died in the fighting. For VOA, Mohamed Yousuf has a report. Residents in the Wadidjid neighborhood of southwest Mogadishu were awakened Friday by heavy gunfire. This is a normal ongoing operation. Canon Ali Adan Humed, a spokesman for the African Union force Amisom, told VOA his troops and Somali forces were trying to secure an arms cage near the home of former warlord Ahmed Hassan Adou when Adou's militia attacked. The ex-warlord, also known as Ahmed Dai, told VOA's Somali service the clashes began when government forces attacked his home before dawn. Mohamed Yousuf, for VOA News, Nairobi. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager whose shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protests was a robbery suspect. The police chief of the town of Ferguson, Thomas Jackson, identified the officer who shot and killed Brown as Darren Wilson, a six-year veteran of the force with no disciplinary record. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,526 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T2043CDT-0100Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. Russia denies its military has crossed into Ukraine. Military aid for Kurdish fighters in Iraq. I'm Vincent Brews reporting from Washington. Ukraine's president said Friday his country's armed forces had destroyed part of a Russian military column that had crossed the border in an escalation of the conflict over Ukraine's breakaway eastern regions. Jamie Dettmer has more from Donetsk. Mystery remained over the fate of a Russian military column that Western journalists spotted crossing the border in the dead of night on Thursday. And Ukraine's security services spokesman, Colonel Andrey Lysenko, told reporters in Kiev that appropriate action had been taken against the Russian column and that part of it no longer exists. The new separatist prime minister of the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic dismissed the assertion Ukrainian officials say the Russian armed column entered Ukraine around the same time as a Russian convoy, Moscow says, is humanitarian. Kiev fears the aid convoy is a cover for an invasion. Jamie Dettmer, VOA News, Donetsk. The White House says it cannot confirm those reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed the Russian military convoy. Thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in a Pakistani capital late Friday as two large anti-government groups arrived to stage protests aimed at unseating the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The protests in Islamabad led by opposition leader Imran Khan and Muslim cleric Tahir al-Qadri constitute the biggest challenge yet to Mr. Sharif's year-old government. Khan and Qadri say the government is corrupt. Earlier Friday clashes broke out in the city of Guzranwala after gunshots were fired at Khan's vehicle as he led an anti-government march to Islamabad. The gunshots hit Khan's vehicle, but his spokeswoman said he was not hurt. The European Union has agreed to support individual EU member decisions to supply arms to Iraqi Kurds who are battling Islamic state militants, while the United Nations has imposed sanctions on six men for recruiting or financing Islamic fighters in Iraq and Syria. EU foreign ministers gave the go-ahead at an emergency meeting in Brussels Friday, marking a shift towards greater involvement in the Iraqi crisis. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Islamic state militants in Iraq, who have taken over large parts of the country's northwest, pose a threat to the region, to Europe and to civilization. The developments come a day after embattled Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki gave in to international pressure to step aside and support his nominated replacement, Haider al-Abadi. Hammond said the results of Friday's meeting will show Iraqis the support of the international community. This will be a major step forward in showing the commitment of the international community to stamping out this threat and to supporting the new Iraqi government of Mr. al-Abadi. More details on all these stories at voanews.com. Meanwhile, aid agencies are scaling up humanitarian operations in response to the recent UN declaration that the displacement crisis in Iraq has reached its highest level of emergency. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva. The United Nations equates the crisis in Iraq with those unfolding in Syria, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. UN refugee spokesman Dan McNorton calls this a very fluid, rapidly evolving situation. He says the refugees arrive in extremely bad shape. He says they have been forced to walk a long time in searing heat and are exhausted and dehydrated when they arrive. He tells VOA finding shelter for these people is critical. Lisa Schlein for VOA News, Geneva. The World Health Organization says the number of people who have died from Ebola in West Africa has risen to 1,145. In a Friday statement, the WHO also said 76 more deaths had been reported during the Tuesday through Wednesday period of earlier this week, the majority in Liberia. Joanne Liu, president of Doctors Without Borders, returned from West Africa recently. She said it felt like wartime as she visited the affected countries. I really had the feeling that it is like a wartime in terms of fear, general fear all over where you are, nobody not understanding what's going on. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager who's shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protests was a robbery suspect. The police chief of the town of Ferguson, Missouri, released police reports including video surveillance footage that they say showed 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown involved in a robbery. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,669 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T2127CDT-0200Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. Russian military movements into Ukraine are in dispute. EU leaders support additional arms for Kurdish fighters in Iraq. I'm Vincent Brouche reporting from Washington. The White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that had allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. Ukraine's president said Friday his country's armed forces had destroyed part of a Russian military column that had crossed the border in an escalation of the conflict over Ukraine's breakaway eastern regions. The self-styled prime minister for the rebel Donetsk People's Republic tells VOA the claim is untrue. Jamie Dettmer has more from Donetsk. Misery remained over the fate of a Russian military column that Western journalists spotted crossing the border in the dead of night on Thursday. And Ukraine's security services spokesman, Colonel Andrey Leshenko, told reporters in Kiev that appropriate action had been taken against the Russian column and that part of it no longer exists. The new separatist prime minister of the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic dismissed the assertion. Ukrainian officials say the Russian armed column entered Ukraine around the same time as a Russian convoy Moscow says is humanitarian. Kiev fears the aid convoy is a cover for an invasion. Jamie Dettmer, VOA News, Donetsk. European Union ministers agreed Friday to support individual EU member decisions to supply arms to Iraqi Kurds who are battling Islamic State militants. That as the United Nations imposed sanctions on six men for recruiting or financing Islamic fighters in Iraq and Syria. EU foreign ministers gave the go-ahead at an emergency meeting in Brussels, marking a shift towards greater involvement in the Iraqi crisis. Friday, EU governments agreed to support individual country decisions and Lisa Bryant has more for VOA on the outcome of that meeting. Meeting in Brussels on Friday, the European Union foreign ministers endorsed decisions by individual EU members to send weapons to Iraqi Kurds who are fighting well-armed Islamic State fighters. Speaking after the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expressed satisfaction with the results. For his part, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said London would consider favorably a request to supply arms to Kurdish forces. He also predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a resolution pushed by Britain that threatens sanctions against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist insurgency. Lisa Bryant for VOA News, Paris. In Pakistan, thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in the capital Islamabad late Friday to protest the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The protests, led by opposition leader Imran Khan and Muslim cleric Tahir al-Qadri, constitute the biggest challenge yet to Mr. Sharif's year-old government. The protests followed clashes earlier in the day in the city of Gujranwala. After gunshots were fired at Khan's vehicle as he led an anti-government march to Islamabad, the spokeswoman said he was not hurt. The World Health Organization says the number of people who have died from Ebola in West Africa has risen to 1,145. WHO says the overall number of Ebola cases has risen to more than 2,100. Doctors Without Borders president Joanne Liu has just returned from West Africa. She said it felt like wartime as she visited the affected countries. I really had the feeling that it is like a wartime in terms of fear, general fear all over where you are, nobody not understanding what's going on. Dr. Liu says more coordinated action is needed to bring the epidemic under control in West Africa. She said the situation in Liberia is the most dangerous. And they need, right now, help, they need leadership, coordination, means they will not be able to overcome that by themselves unless some extra capacity is coming in the country. And as well, if we don't stabilize Liberia, we'll never stabilize the whole region. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager who's shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protest was a robbery suspect. The police chief of the town of Ferguson, Missouri, Thomas Jackson, Friday released police reports indicating that 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown was involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk on August 9th. The report says Brown left with a box of cigars. He was later shot by the officer responding to an emergency medical call. The incident has triggered violence in the town and vigils by thousands of people across the United States. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,707 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T2256CDT-0300Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. EU ministers approve arming Iraqi Kurds and U.S. says no confirmation on reports Russian military entered Ukraine. I'm Bill Michaels reporting from Washington. The European Union has agreed to support individual EU member decisions to supply arms to Iraqi Kurds who are battling Islamic State militants, while the United Nations has imposed sanctions on six men for recruiting or financing Islamic fighters in Iraq and Syria. EU foreign ministers gave the go-ahead at an emergency meeting in Brussels Friday, making a shift towards a greater involvement in the Iraqi crisis. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Islamic State militants in Iraq, who have taken over large parts of the country's northwest, pose a threat to the region, to Europe and to civilization. We've had a long discussion about the situation in Iraq and the conclusions of the council today will show the commitment of European countries to pushing back against the threat from ISIL, a threat to civilization, a threat to the region and a threat to us here in Europe. France is already arming the Kurds, while Britain and the Netherlands say they will consider doing so. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says Germany will do whatever is legally and politically possible. The White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that had allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. A spokeswoman said late Friday officials are working to gather information on the situation. She said the U.S. remains concerned about repeated Russian and Russian-supported incursions into Ukraine. Earlier Friday, Russia denied reports that a column of Russian military vehicles crossed into eastern Ukraine late Thursday and was destroyed by Ukrainian troops, but Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's office said Ukraine destroyed a major portion of that military column. Mr. Poroshenko also confirmed media reports that Russian military vehicles were seen crossing into Ukraine about 30 kilometers from where a Russian aid convoy was stopped for inspections. The international president of Doctors Without Borders warns the number of confirmed Ebola cases and deaths is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. The chief of the medical aid group says it will take at least six months to bring the epidemic in West Africa under control. Lisa Schlein filed this report from Geneva. The head of Doctors Without Borders, Joanne Liu, spoke to reporters after returning from a 10-day visit to Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. She says the Ebola epidemic raging in these three countries makes them feel like wartime. She says the fear is palpable and nobody understands what is going on. Liu says there has been a total collapse of infrastructure in the Ebola-affected countries since the disease was first discovered in Guinea in March. While infections in both Sierra Leone and Liberia continue to grow at a steady rate, she says the situation in Liberia is the most dangerous. Lisa Schlein, Geneva. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager who's shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protest was a robbery suspect. The police chief of the town of Ferguson, Thomas Jackson, Friday released police reports including video surveillance footage that they said showed 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk on August 9. The report says Brown left with a box of cigars who was later shot by the officer responding to an emergency medical call. At a news conference Friday, Chief Jackson said the officer initially stopped Brown because the teenager was blocking traffic as he walked down the street. The incident has triggered violence in the town and vigils by thousands of people across the United States. Thousands of opposition protesters gathered in Pakistan's capital late Friday as two large convoys arrived for demonstrations aimed at unseating Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government. And heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital early Friday when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. From Washington, I'm Bill Michaels, VOA News. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,285 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-15T2324CDT-0400Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. EU ministers approve arming Iraqi Kurds. U.S. says no confirmation on reports Russian military entered Ukraine. I'm Bill Michaels reporting from Washington. European Union governments agreed to support individual country decisions to arm Kurdish fighters taking on Islamist state militants in Iraq. They also offered strong backing for the new Iraqi government. From Paris, Lisa Bryan has more. Meeting in Brussels on Friday, the European Union foreign ministers endorsed decisions by individual EU members to send weapons to Iraqi Kurds who are fighting well-armed Islamic state fighters. Speaking after the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expressed satisfaction with the results. For his part, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said London would consider favorably a request to supply arms to Kurdish forces. He also predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a resolution pushed by Britain that threatens sanctions against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist insurgency. Lisa Bryant for VOA News, Paris. The White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that had allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. A spokeswoman said late Friday officials are working to gather information on the situation. She said the U.S. remains concerned about repeated Russian and Russian-supported incursions into Ukraine. The World Health Organization says the number of people who have died from Ebola in West Africa has risen to 1,145. The U.N. agency says on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week it received reports of 152 new suspected and confirmed cases of the virus. In a Friday statement, the WHO also said 76 more deaths had been reported during the same period, the majority in Liberia. Earlier in the day, international aid organizations that have been helping Ebola victims said they were struggling to keep up with the epidemic. Doctors Without Borders President Joanne Liu, who had just returned from West Africa, said it felt like wartime as she visited the affected countries. I really had the feeling that it is like a wartime in terms of fear, general fear all over where you are, nobody not understanding what's going on. She also said the magnitude of the outbreak had created stress in health care centers. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager who's shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protest was a robbery suspect. The police chief of the town of Ferguson, Thomas Jackson, Friday released police reports including video surveillance footage that they said showed 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk on August 9th. The report says Brown left with a box of cigars. He was later shot by the officer responding to an emergency medical call. At a news conference Friday, Chief Jackson said the officer initially stopped Brown because the teenager was blocking traffic as he walked down the street. The incident has triggered violence in the town and vigils by thousands of people across the United States. Thousands of opposition protesters gathered in Pakistan's capital late Friday as two large convoys arrived for demonstrations aimed at unseating Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government. The protest in Islamabad led by opposition leader Imran Khan and Muslim cleric Tahir al-Qadri constitute the biggest challenge yet to Mr. Sharif's year-old government. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital early Friday when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least 10 people were killed in the fighting in southwest Mogadishu. Terrified residents told VOA they heard gunfire and explosions during the fight, which was unusually heavy even for the rest of the capital. The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog will visit Iran Sunday in an apparent push for progress in a long-running investigation. To suspicions, Iran has worked to develop nuclear weapons. The trip comes ahead of an August 25 deadline for Iran to answer allegations about its disputed nuclear program. In Washington, I'm Bill Michaels reporting. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,291 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T0024CDT-0500Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. EU ministers approve arming Iraqi Kurds, and U.S. says no confirmation on reports Russian military entered Ukraine. I'm Bill Michaels reporting from Washington. The European Union has agreed to support individual EU members' decisions to supply arms to Iraqi Kurds who are battling Islamic State militants, while the United Nations has imposed sanctions on six men for recruiting or financing Islamic fighters in Iraq and Syria. EU foreign ministers gave the go-ahead at an emergency meeting in Brussels Friday, marking a shift, rather, towards greater involvement in the Iraqi crisis. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Islamic State militants in Iraq, who have taken over large parts of the country's northwest, pose a threat to the region, to Europe and to civilization. We've had a long discussion about the situation in Iraq, and the conclusions of the Council today will show the commitment of European countries to pushing back against the threat from ISIL, a threat to civilization, a threat to the region, and a threat to us here in Europe. France is already arming the Kurds, while Britain and the Netherlands say they will consider doing so. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says Germany will do whatever is legally and politically possible. The White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that had allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. A spokeswoman said late Friday officials are working to gather information on the situation. She said the U.S. remains concerned about repeated Russian and Russian-supported incursions into Ukraine. Earlier Friday, Russia denied reports that a column of Russian military vehicles crossed into eastern Ukraine late Thursday and was destroyed by Ukrainian troops. The International President of Doctors Without Borders warns the number of confirmed Ebola cases and deaths is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. The chief of the medical aid group says it will take at least six months to bring the epidemic in West Africa under control. Lisa Schlein has our report from Geneva. The head of Doctors Without Borders, Joanne Liu, spoke to reporters after returning from a 10-day visit to Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. She says the Ebola epidemic raging in these three countries makes them feel like wartime. She says the fear is palpable and nobody understands what is going on. Liu says there has been a total collapse of infrastructure in the Ebola-affected countries since the disease was first discovered in Guinea in March. While infections in both Sierra Leone and Liberia continue to grow at a steady rate, she says the situation in Liberia is the most dangerous. Lisa Schlein, Geneva. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager who's shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protest was a robbery suspect. The police chief of the town of Ferguson, Thomas Jackson, Friday released police reports including video surveillance footage that they said showed 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk on August 9th. The report says Brown left with a box of cigars. He was later shot by the officer responding to an emergency medical call. At a news conference Friday, Chief Jackson said the officer initially stopped Brown because the teenager was blocking traffic as he walked down the street. The incident has triggered violence in the town and vigils by thousands of people across the United States. Thousands of opposition protesters gathered in Pakistan's capital late Friday as two large convoys arrived for demonstrations aimed at unseating Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital early Friday when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least 10 people were killed in the fighting in southwest Mogadishu. The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog will visit Iran Sunday in an apparent push for progress in a long-running investigation into suspicions Iran has worked to develop nuclear weapons. The trip comes ahead of an August 25th deadline for Iran to answer allegations about its disputed nuclear program. From Washington, I'm Bill Michaels, VOA News. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,401 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T0124CDT-0600Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. EU ministers approve arming Iraqi Kurds, and U.S. says no confirmation on reports Russian military entered Ukraine. I'm Bill Michaels reporting from Washington. European Union governments agreed to support individual country decisions to arm Kurdish fighters taking on Islamist state militants in Iraq. They also offered strong backing for the new Iraqi government. From Paris, Lisa Bryan has our story. Meeting in Brussels on Friday, the European Union foreign ministers endorsed decisions by individual EU members to send weapons to Iraqi Kurds who are fighting well-armed Islamic state fighters. Speaking after the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expressed satisfaction with the results. For his part, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said London would consider favorably a request to supply arms to Kurdish forces. He also predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a resolution pushed by Britain that threatens sanctions against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist insurgency. Lisa Bryan for VOA News, Paris. The White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that had allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. A spokeswoman said late Friday officials are working to gather information on the situation. She said the U.S. remains concerned about repeated Russian and Russian-supported incursions into Ukraine. The World Health Organization says the number of people who have died from Ebola in West Africa has risen to 1,145. The U.N. agency says on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week it received reports of 152 new suspected and confirmed cases of the virus. In a statement Friday, the WHO also said 76 more deaths had been reported during the same time period, the majority in Liberia. Earlier in the day, international aid organizations that have been helping Ebola victims said they were struggling to keep up with the epidemic. Doctors Without Borders President Joanne Lu, who has just returned from West Africa, said it felt like wartime as she visited the affected countries. I really had the feeling that it is like a wartime in terms of fear, general fear all over where you are, nobody not understanding what's going on. She also said the magnitude of the outbreak had created stress in health care centers. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager who's shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protest was a robbery suspect. The police chief of the town of Ferguson, Thomas Jackson, Friday released police reports including video surveillance footage that they said showed 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk on August 9th. The report says Brown left with a box of cigars. He was later shot by the officer responding to an emergency medical call. At a news conference Friday, Chief Jackson said the officer initially stopped Brown because the teenager was blocking traffic as he walked down the street. Thousands of opposition protesters gathered in Pakistan's capital late Friday as two large convoys arrived for demonstrations aimed at unseating the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government. The protest in Islamabad led by opposition leader Imran Khan and Muslim cleric Tahir al-Qadri constitute the biggest challenge yet to Mr. Sharif's year-old government. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital early Friday when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least 10 people were killed in the fighting in southwest Mogadishu. The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog will visit Iran Sunday in an apparent push for progress. In a long-running investigation into suspicions, Iran has worked to develop nuclear weapons. The trip comes ahead of an August 25 deadline for Iran to answer allegations about its disputed nuclear weapons program. Reporting from Washington, I'm Bill Michaels, VOA News. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,080 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T0224CDT-0700Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. EU ministers approve arming Iraqi Kurds. U.S. says no confirmation on reports Russian military entered Ukraine. Bill Michaels reporting from Washington. The European Union has agreed to support individual EU member decisions to supply arms to Iraqi Kurds who are battling Islamic State militants, while the United Nations has imposed sanctions on six men for recruiting or financing Islamic fighters in Iraq and Syria. EU foreign ministers gave the go-ahead at an emergency meeting in Brussels Friday, marking a shift towards greater involvement in the Iraqi crisis. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says Islamic State militants in Iraq, who have taken over large parts of the country's northwest, pose a threat to the region, to Europe and to civilization. We've had a long discussion about the situation in Iraq and the conclusions of the council today will show the commitment of European countries to pushing back against the threat from ISIL, a threat to civilization, a threat to the region and a threat to us here in Europe. France is already arming the Kurds, while Britain and the Netherlands say they will consider doing so. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says Germany will do whatever is legally and politically possible. The White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that had allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. The spokeswoman said late Friday officials are working to gather information on the situation. She said the U.S. remains concerned about repeated Russian and Russian-supported incursions into Ukraine. Earlier Friday, Russia denied reports that a column of Russian military vehicles crossed into eastern Ukraine late Thursday and was destroyed by Ukrainian troops. The international president of Doctors Without Borders warns the number of confirmed Ebola cases and deaths is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. The chief of the medical aid group says it will take at least six months to bring the epidemic in West Africa under control. Lisa Schlein has a report from Geneva. The head of Doctors Without Borders, Joanne Liu, spoke to reporters after returning from a 10-day visit to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. She says the Ebola epidemic raging in these three countries makes them feel like wartime. She says the fear is palpable and nobody understands what is going on. Liu says there has been a total collapse of infrastructure in the Ebola-affected countries since the disease was first discovered in Guinea in March. While infections in both Sierra Leone and Liberia continue to grow at a steady rate, she says the situation in Liberia is the most dangerous. Lisa Schlein, Geneva. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager who's shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protest was a robbery suspect. The police chief of the town of Ferguson, Thomas Jackson, Friday released police reports including a video surveillance footage that showed 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk on August 9th. The report says Brown left with a box of cigars. He was later shot by the officer responding to an emergency medical call. At a news conference Friday, Chief Jackson said the officer initially stopped Brown because the teenager was blocking traffic as he walked down the street. The incident has triggered violence in the town and vigils by thousands of people across the United States. Thousands of opposition protesters gathered in Pakistan's capital late Friday as two large convoys arrived for demonstrations aimed at unseating Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital early Friday when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least 10 people were killed in the fighting in southwest Mogadishu. Terrified residents told VOA they heard gunfire and explosions during the fight, which was unusually heavy even for the rest of capital. Reporting from Washington, I'm Bill Michaels, VOA News. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,207 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T0324CDT-0800Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. EU ministers approve arming Iraqi Kurds and U.S. says no confirmation on reports Russian military has entered Ukraine. I'm Bill Michaels reporting from Washington. European Union governments agreed to support individual country decisions to arm Kurdish fighters taking on Islamist state militants in Iraq. They also offered strong backing for the new Iraqi government. Lisa Bryan has more from Paris. Meeting in Brussels on Friday, the European Union foreign ministers endorse decisions by individual EU members to send weapons to Iraqi Kurds who are fighting well-armed Islamic state fighters. Speaking after the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expressed satisfaction with the results. For his part, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said London would consider favorably a request to supply arms to Kurdish forces. He also predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a resolution pushed by Britain that threatens sanctions against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist insurgency. Lisa Bryant for VOA News, Paris. The White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that is allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. A spokeswoman said late Friday officials are working to gather information on the situation. She said the U.S. remains concerned about repeated Russian and Russian-supported incursions into Ukraine. The World Health Organization says the number of people who have died from Ebola in West Africa has risen to 1,145, the U.N. agency says. On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, it received reports of 152 new suspected and confirmed cases of the virus. In a Friday statement, the WHO also said 76 more deaths had been reported during the same time period, the majority in Liberia. Earlier in the day, international aid organizations that have been helping Ebola victims said they were struggling to keep up with the epidemic. Doctors Without Borders president Joanne Lu, who has just returned from West Africa, said it felt like wartime as she visited the affected countries. I really had the feeling that it is like a wartime in terms of fear, general fear all over where you are. Nobody not understanding what's going on. She also said the magnitude of the outbreak had created stress in health care centers. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager who's shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protest was a robbery suspect. The police chief of the town of Ferguson, Thomas Jackson, Friday released police reports including video surveillance footage that they said showed 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk on August 9th. The report says Brown left with a box of cigars. He was later shot by the officer responding to an emergency medical call. At a news conference Friday, Chief Jackson said the officer initially stopped Brown because the teenager was blocking traffic as he walked down the street. The incident has triggered violence in the town and vigils by thousands of people across the United States. Thousands of opposition protesters gathered in Pakistan's capital late Friday as two large convoys arrived for demonstrations aimed at unseating Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government. The protest in Islamabad led by opposition leader Imran Khan and Muslim cleric Tahir al-Qadri constitute the biggest challenge yet to Mr. Sharif's year-old government. Imran Khan and Qadri say the government is corrupt. Their two movements are not officially allied. Heavy fighting broke out of the Somali capital early Friday when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least 10 people were killed in the fighting in southwest Mogadishu. Terrified residents told VOA they heard gunfire and explosions during the fight, which was unusually heavy even for the rest of the capital. The ex-warlord told VOA Somali service by phone the clashes began when government forces attacked his home. From Washington, I'm Bill Michaels, VOA News. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,201 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T0424CDT-0900Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. EU ministers approve arming Iraqi Kurds, and U.S. says no confirmation on reports Russian military entered Ukraine. I'm Bill Michaels reporting from Washington. The European Union has agreed to support individual EU member decisions to supply arms to Iraq Iraqi Kurds who are battling Islamic State militants, while the United Nations has imposed sanctions on six men for recruiting or financing Islamic fighters in Iraq and Syria. EU foreign ministers gave the go-ahead at an emergency meeting in Brussels Friday, marking a shift towards greater involvement in the Iraqi crisis. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond. We've had a long discussion about the situation in Iraq, and the conclusions of the Council today will show the commitment of European countries to pushing back against the threat from ISIL, a threat to civilization, a threat to the region, and a threat to us here in Europe. France is already arming the Kurds, while Britain and the Netherlands say they will consider doing so. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says Germany will do whatever is legally and politically possible. The United States, as it cannot confirm, reports that the Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that had allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. A White House spokeswoman said late Friday officials are working to gather information on the situation. She said the U.S. remains concerned about repeated Russian and Russian-supported incursions into Ukraine. Earlier Friday, Russia denied reports that a column of Russian military vehicles crossed into eastern Ukraine late Thursday and was destroyed by Ukrainian troops. The international president of Doctors Without Borders warns the number of confirmed Ebola cases and deaths is likely to climb. The chief of the medical aid group says it will take at least six months to bring the epidemic in West Africa under control. Lisa Sline has the story from Geneva. The head of Doctors Without Borders, Joanne Lou, spoke to reporters after returning from a 10-day visit to Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. She says the Ebola epidemic raging in these three countries makes them feel like wartime. She says the fear is palpable and nobody understands what is going on. Lou says there has been a total collapse of infrastructure in the Ebola-affected countries since the disease was first discovered in Guinea in March. While infections in both Sierra Leone and Liberia continue to grow at a steady rate, she says the situation in Liberia is the most dangerous. Lisa Sline, Geneva. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager who's shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protest was a robbery suspect. The police chief of the town of Ferguson, Thomas Jackson, Friday released police reports including video surveillance footage that they said showed 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk on August 9th. The report says Brown left with a box of cigars. He was later shot by the officer responding to an emergency medical call. Beginning next week, school attendance will be linked to welfare payments for parents in aboriginal islands or aboriginal lands rather in South Australia. If parents don't send their children to school, they could lose state benefits. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports. Ambitious targets have been set to bring indigenous school attendance up to Australia's national average of around 90%. It will be a tough challenge. In some remote settlements, official figures show that almost 90% of aboriginal children struggle to read and write. Barely half stay at school beyond the age of 15. In tribal areas in South Australia, jobless parents who don't send their children to school could now lose part of their welfare payments. Government officials believe the measures will force families to take education more seriously. Phil Mercer for VOA News, Sydney, Australia. Thousands of opposition protesters gathered in Pakistan's capital late Friday as two large convoys arrived for demonstrations aimed at unseating Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government. Reporting from Washington, I'm Bill Michaels. VOA News. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,280 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T0524CDT-1000Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. EU ministers approve arming Iraqi Kurds, and U.S. has no confirmation on reports Russian military entered Ukraine. I'm Bill Michaels reporting from Washington. European Union governments agreed to support individual country decisions to arm Kurdish fighters taking on Islamist state militants in Iraq. They also offered strong backing for the new Iraqi government. Lisa Bryan has more from Paris. Meeting in Brussels on Friday, the European Union foreign ministers endorsed decisions by individual EU members to send weapons to Iraqi Kurds who are fighting well-armed Islamic state fighters. Speaking after the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expressed satisfaction with the results. For his part, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said London would consider favorably a request to supply arms to Kurdish forces. He also predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a resolution pushed by Britain that threatens sanctions against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist insurgency. Lisa Bryant for VOA News, Paris. The White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that had allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. A spokeswoman said late Friday officials are working to gather information on the situation. She said the U.S. remains concerned about repeated Russian and Russian-supported incursions into Ukraine. The World Health Organization says the number of people who have died from Ebola in West Africa has risen to 1,145. The U.N. agency said on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week it received reports of 152 new suspected and confirmed cases of the virus. In a Friday statement, the WHO also said 76 more deaths had been reported during the same period the majority in Liberia. Earlier in the day, international aid organizations that have been helping Ebola victims said they were struggling to keep up with the epidemic. Doctors Without Borders President Joanne Lu, who had just returned from West Africa, said it felt like wartime as she visited the affected countries. I really had the feeling that it is like a wartime in terms of fear, general fear all over where you are, nobody not understanding what's going on. She also said the magnitude of the outbreak had created stress in health care centers. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager whose shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protest was a robbery suspect. The police chief of the town of Ferguson, Thomas Jackson, Friday released police reports including video surveillance footage that they say showed 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk on August 9. The report says Brown left with a box of cigars. He was later shot by the officer responding to an emergency medical call. At a news conference Friday, Chief Jackson said the officer initially stopped Brown because the teenager was blocking traffic as he walked down the street. Thousands of opposition protesters gathered in Pakistan's capital late Friday as two large convoys arrived for demonstrations aimed at unseating Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government. The protest in Islamabad led by opposition leader Imran Khan and Muslim cleric Tahir al-Qadri constitute the biggest challenge yet to Mr. Sharif's year-old government. Khan and Qadri say the government is corrupt. Their two movements are not officially allied. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital early Friday when government and African Union forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least 10 people were killed in the fighting in southwest Mogadishu. Terrified residents told VOA they heard gunfire and explosions during the fight, which were unusually heavy even for the rest of capital. The ex-warlord told VOA's Somali service by phone that clashes began when government forces attacked his home before dawn. For more on these stories, visit our website at voanews.com. From Washington, I'm Bill Michaels, VOA News. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,147 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T0624CDT-1100Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. EU ministers approve arming Iraqi Kurds, and the U.S. has no confirmation on reports of Russian military entering Ukraine. I'm Marty Johnson reporting from Washington. The European Union has agreed to support individual EU member decisions to supply arms to Iraqi Kurds battling Islamic State militants, while the United Nations has imposed sanctions on six men for recruiting or financing Islamic fighters in Iraq and Syria. EU foreign ministers gave the go-ahead at an emergency meeting in Brussels Friday marking a shift towards greater involvement in the Iraqi crisis. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond. We've had a long discussion about the situation in Iraq, and the conclusions of the Council today will show the commitment of European countries to pushing back against the threat from ISIL, a threat to civilization, a threat to the region, and a threat to us here in Europe. France is already arming the Kurds, while Britain and the Netherlands say they will consider doing so. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says Germany will do whatever is legally and politically possible. The White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that had allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. The spokesman said late Friday officials are working to gather information on the situation. She said the U.S. remains concerned about repeated Russian and Russian-supported incursions into Ukraine. Earlier Friday, Russia denied reports that a column of Russian military vehicles crossed into eastern Ukraine late Thursday and was destroyed by Ukrainian troops. The international president of Doctors Without Borders says the Ebola epidemic is in different stages in three countries. Dr. Joan Liu said Friday the situation is somewhat stabilized in Guinea, while it is still spiraling out of control in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The chief of the medical aid group says it will take at least six months to bring the epidemic in West Africa under control. Lisa Schlein reports from Geneva. The head of Doctors Without Borders, Joan Liu, spoke to reporters after returning from a 10-day visit to Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. She says the Ebola epidemic raging in these three countries makes them feel like wartime. She says the fear is palpable and nobody understands what is going on. Liu says there has been a total collapse of infrastructure in the Ebola-affected countries since the disease was first discovered in Guinea in March. While infections in both Sierra Leone and Liberia continue to grow at a steady rate, she says the situation in Liberia is the most dangerous. Lisa Schlein, Geneva. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager who's shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protest was a robbery suspect. The police chief in the town of Ferguson, Thomas Jackson, has released police reports showing video surveillance footage that they say shows 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk on August 9th. The report says Brown left with a box of cigars and was later shot by the officer responding to an emergency medical call. Beginning next week, school attendance will be linked to welfare payments for parents in aboriginal lands in South Australia. If parents don't send their children to school, they could lose state benefits. Phil Mercer reports from Sydney. Ambitious targets have been set to bring indigenous school attendance up to Australia's national average of around 90%. It will be a tough challenge. In some remote settlements, official figures show that almost 90% of aboriginal children struggle to read and write. Barely half stay at school beyond the age of 15. In tribal areas in South Australia, jobless parents who don't send their children to school could now lose part of their welfare payments. And officials believe the measures will force families to take education more seriously. Phil Mercer for VOA News, Sydney, Australia. Thousands of opposition protesters gathered in Pakistan's capital on Friday as two large convoys arrived for demonstrations aimed at unseating Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government. The protests in Islamabad led by opposition leader Imran Khan and Muslim cleric Tahir constitute the biggest challenge yet to Mr. Sharif's year-old government. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital on Friday when government and African forces attacked a militia loyal to a former overlord. I'm Marty Johnson reporting from Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,632 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T0724CDT-1100Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. EU ministers approve arming Iraqi Kurds, and the U.S. has no confirmation on reports of Russian military entering Ukraine. I'm Marty Johnson reporting from Washington. The European Union has agreed to support individual EU member decisions to supply arms to Iraqi Kurds battling Islamic State militants, while the United Nations has imposed sanctions on six men for recruiting or financing Islamic fighters in Iraq and Syria. EU foreign ministers gave the go-ahead at an emergency meeting in Brussels Friday marking a shift towards greater involvement in the Iraqi crisis. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond. We've had a long discussion about the situation in Iraq, and the conclusions of the Council today will show the commitment of European countries to pushing back against the threat from ISIL, a threat to civilization, a threat to the region, and a threat to us here in Europe. France is already arming the Kurds, while Britain and the Netherlands say they will consider doing so. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says Germany will do whatever is legally and politically possible. The White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that had allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. The spokesman said late Friday officials are working to gather information on the situation. She said the U.S. remains concerned about repeated Russian and Russian-supported incursions into Ukraine. Earlier Friday, Russia denied reports that a column of Russian military vehicles crossed into eastern Ukraine late Thursday and was destroyed by Ukrainian troops. The international president of Doctors Without Borders says the Ebola epidemic is in different stages in three countries. Dr. Joan Liu said Friday the situation is somewhat stabilized in Guinea, while it is still spiraling out of control in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The chief of the medical aid group says it will take at least six months to bring the epidemic in West Africa under control. Lisa Schlein reports from Geneva. The head of Doctors Without Borders, Joan Liu, spoke to reporters after returning from a 10-day visit to Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. She says the Ebola epidemic raging in these three countries makes them feel like wartime. She says the fear is palpable and nobody understands what is going on. Liu says there has been a total collapse of infrastructure in the Ebola-affected countries since the disease was first discovered in Guinea in March. While infections in both Sierra Leone and Liberia continue to grow at a steady rate, she says the situation in Liberia is the most dangerous. Lisa Schlein, Geneva. Police in the U.S. state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager who's shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protest was a robbery suspect. The police chief in the town of Ferguson, Thomas Jackson, has released police reports showing video surveillance footage that they say shows 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk on August 9th. The report says Brown left with a box of cigars and was later shot by the officer responding to an emergency medical call. Beginning next week, school attendance will be linked to welfare payments for parents in aboriginal lands in South Australia. If parents don't send their children to school, they could lose state benefits. Phil Mercer reports from Sydney. Ambitious targets have been set to bring indigenous school attendance up to Australia's national average of around 90%. It will be a tough challenge. In some remote settlements, official figures show that almost 90% of aboriginal children struggle to read and write. Barely half stay at school beyond the age of 15. In tribal areas in South Australia, jobless parents who don't send their children to school could now lose part of their welfare payments. And officials believe the measures will force families to take education more seriously. Phil Mercer for VOA News, Sydney, Australia. Thousands of opposition protesters gathered in Pakistan's capital on Friday as two large convoys arrived for demonstrations aimed at unseating Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government. The protests in Islamabad led by opposition leader Imran Khan and Muslim cleric Tahir constitute the biggest challenge yet to Mr. Sharif's year-old government. Heavy fighting broke out in the Somali capital on Friday when government and African forces attacked a militia loyal to a former overlord. I'm Marty Johnson reporting from Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,632 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T0824CDT-1300Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. EU ministers approve of arming Kurdish forces. And the head of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Society says Ebola can be defeated if we hurry. I'm Marty Johnson reporting from Washington. The European Union has agreed to support individual EU member decisions to supply arms to Iraqi Kurds who are battling the Islamic State militants in that country, even as the United Nations imposes sanctions on six men for recruiting or financing Islamic fighters in Syria and Iraq. EU foreign ministers gave the go-ahead at an emergency meeting in Brussels on Friday. The ministers are marking a shift towards greater involvement in the crisis. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond. We've had a long discussion about the situation in Iraq and the conclusions of the Council today will show the commitment of European countries to pushing back against the threat from ISIL, a threat to civilization, a threat to the region and a threat to us here in Europe. France is already arming the Kurds while Britain and the Netherlands say they will consider doing so. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says Germany will do whatever is legally and politically possible. The White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. A spokeswoman said late Friday officials are working to gather information on the situation and that the U.S. remains concerned about repeated Russian and Russian-supported incursions into Ukraine. On Friday, Russia denied reports that a column of Russian military vehicles crossed into Ukraine late Thursday and was destroyed by Ukrainian troops. The international president of Doctors Without Borders says the Ebola epidemic is in different stages in three countries. Dr. John Liu said Friday the situation is somewhat stabilized in Guinea while it is spiraling out of control in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Meantime, the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society says he's optimistic about treating the disease and getting it under control. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Red Cross headquarters in Geneva. More than 1,500 Red Cross volunteers are working in Ebola-affected communities in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Secretary General of the International Red Cross Federation, El-Hajj Assi, says he is humbled by the work they do. I don't know how I would look like if six months after Ebola then I come to say thank you. And while during the time when they were on the field, you know, risking their lives and doing the best they could and I sit in Geneva all the time. See says volunteers are coming from 17 different countries around the world. And I think that showed a very strong sense of, you know, solidarity. Lisa Schlein for VOA News, Geneva. Protesters fought with riot police early today in the U.S. state of Missouri after police reports on Friday said an African-American teenager shot and killed by a police officer was a suspect in a theft. Some protesters threw bottles and other objects at police. Meanwhile, peaceful demonstrators urged the more aggressive protesters to stop. The police chief of the town released a video on Friday, they said, showed the 18-year-old Michael Brown shooting victim involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk. Beginning next week, school attendance will be linked to welfare payments for parents in aboriginal lands in South Australia. If the parents don't send their kids to school, they could lose state benefits. Phil Mercer reports from Sydney. Ambitious targets have been set to bring indigenous school attendance up to Australia's national average of around 90 percent. It will be a tough challenge. In some remote settlements, official figures show that almost 90 percent of aboriginal children struggle to read and write. Barely half stay at school beyond the age of 15. In tribal areas in South Australia, jobless parents who don't send their children to school could now lose part of their welfare payments. Government officials believe the measures will force families to take education more seriously. Phil Mercer for VOA News, Sydney, Australia. Happy fighting broke out in Somalia Friday when government and African forces attacked a militia loyal to a former warlord. Witnesses and officials say at least 10 people were killed in the fighting in southwest Mogadishu. Terrified residents told VOA they heard gunfire and explosions during the fight, which was unusually heavy even for Mogadishu. I'm Marty Johnson reporting. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,652 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T0924CDT-1400Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. European Union ministers approve arming Iraqi Kurds, and the U.S. says there's no confirmation on reports that the Russian military entered the Ukraine. I'm Marty Johnson reporting from Washington. European Union governments agree to support individual country decisions to arm Kurdish fighters taking on Islamist state militants in Iraq. They're also offering strong backing for the new Iraqi government. Lisa Bryant reports. Meeting in Brussels on Friday, the European Union foreign ministers endorsed decisions by individual EU members to send weapons to Iraqi Kurds who are fighting well-armed Islamic state fighters. Speaking after the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expressed satisfaction with the results. For his part, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said London would consider favorably a request to supply arms to Kurdish forces. He also predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a resolution pushed by Britain that threatens sanctions against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist insurgency. Lisa Bryant for VOA News, Paris. British police say one man is dead, at least 19 other people hospitalized for dehydration after being found inside a shipping container at a port east of London. Investigators say a total of 35 people, including women and children, were found inside the container today at a dock in Essex. Police superintendent told reporters port workers heard screaming and banging inside the container, which arrived on a ship from a Belgian port. The White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. Jamie Dettmer has more on the controversy in the cloud over the Russian troops from Donetsk. Mystery remained over the fate of a Russian military column that Western journalists spotted crossing the border in the dead of night on Thursday. And Ukraine's security services spokesman, Colonel Andrey Leshenko, told reporters in Kiev that appropriate action had been taken against the Russian column and that part of it no longer exists. The new separatist prime minister of the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic dismissed the assertion. Ukrainian officials say the Russian armed column entered Ukraine around the same time as a Russian convoy, Moscow says is humanitarian. Kiev fears the aid convoy is a cover for an invasion. Jamie Dettmer, VOA News, Donetsk. Officials and witnesses in the Central African Republic say suspected Muslim rebels have killed at least 34 people over the past week in a series of raids on northern villages. It said today they believe the attackers were ex-Salika fighters. They say some of the attackers threatened to raid more villages before United Nations peacekeeping forces deployed to the CAR in mid-September. The World Health Organization says the number of people who have died from Ebola in West Africa has risen to 1,145. The UN agency says on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week it received reports of 152 new and confirmed cases of the virus. In a statement on Friday, the WHO said 76 more deaths were reported during the same period in Liberia. Earlier in the day, international aid organizations that have been helping Ebola victims said they were struggling to keep up with the epidemic. Doctors Without Borders president Joan Liu, who had just returned from West Africa, said it felt like wartime when she visited the affected areas. I really had the feeling that it is like a wartime in terms of fear, general fear all over where you are, nobody not understanding what's going on. Liu also said the magnitude of the outbreak created stress in the health care centers. Pope Francis has celebrated a huge open-air mass in the center of Seoul to beatify 124 Korean martyrs killed in the 18th and 19th centuries for refusing to renounce Christianity. Rebellion is the last step before sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. In its homily today to before a crowd of hundreds of thousands at a Seoul location, Francis denounced the growing gap between the rich and poor. On Friday, Pope Francis urged nearly 50,000 South Korean youths to renounce materialism that affects much of Asia and reject what he called the inhuman ecosystems that disenfranchise the poor. Police in the state of Missouri say the unarmed black teenager who's shooting death by a police officer sparked days of protest was a robbery suspect. The police in the town of Ferguson say they have a video and they've released reports that they say show 18-year-old Michael Brown was involved in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk on August 9th. I'm Marty Johnson reporting. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,745 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T1024CDT-1500Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. EU ministers approve of arming Iraqi Kurds. And the foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany meet this weekend to discuss tensions in Ukraine. I'm Marty Johnson reporting from Washington. The European Union has agreed to support individual EU member decisions to supply arms to Iraqi Kurds battling Islamic State militants, while the UN has imposed sanctions on six men for recruiting or financing Islamic fighters in Syria and Iraq. EU foreign ministers gave the go-ahead at an emergency meeting in Brussels Friday, marking the shift towards greater involvement in the Iraqi crisis. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond. We've had a long discussion about the situation in Iraq, and the conclusions of the Council today will show the commitment of European countries to pushing back against the threat from ISIL, a threat to civilization, a threat to the region, and a threat to us here in Europe. France is already arming the Kurds while Britain and the Netherlands say they will consider doing so. Germany's foreign minister says his country will do whatever is legally and politically possible. British police say one man is dead, at least 19 people hospitalized for dehydration and hypothermia after being found inside a shipping container at a port east of London. Investigators say a total of 35 people, including women and children, were found inside the container today at a dock in Essex. A policeman told reporters that port workers heard screaming and banging from inside the container which arrived from a Belgian port. He said authorities are searching other containers on the ship. The foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany will meet this weekend to discuss the tensions in Ukraine. The meeting is set for tomorrow in Germany's capital. German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told a German newspaper he hopes the talks will help end violence and provide humanitarian aid in eastern Ukraine. French President Francois Hollande and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso met today with Mr. Hollande calling on Russia to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and Ukraine to exercise restraint in its military activities. The international president of Doctors Without Borders says the Ebola epidemic is in different stages in three different countries. Joan Liu said the situation is somewhat stabilized in Guinea while it's spiraling out of control in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Meanwhile, the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society says he is optimistic about Ebola. Lisa Schlein reports from Red Cross headquarters in Geneva. More than 1,500 Red Cross volunteers are working in Ebola-affected communities in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Secretary-General of the International Red Cross Federation, El-Hajj Assi, says he is humbled by the work they do. Assi says volunteers are coming from 17 different countries around the world. Lisa Schlein for VOA News, Geneva. Officials and witnesses in the Central African Republic say suspected Muslim rebels have killed at least 34 people over the past week in a series of raids on northern villages. Witnesses said today they believe the attackers were ex-Salika fighters and that some of the attackers threatened to raid more villages before a UN peacekeeping force is deployed to the republic in mid-September. Beginning next week, school attendance will be linked to welfare payments for parents in Aboriginal lands in South Australia. If parents don't send their kids to school, they could lose state benefits. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports. Ambitious targets have been set to bring Indigenous school attendance up to Australia's national average of around 90 percent. It will be a tough challenge. In some remote settlements, official figures show that almost 90 percent of Aboriginal children struggle to read and write. Barely half stay at school beyond the age of 15. In tribal areas in South Australia, jobless parents who don't send their children to school could now lose part of their welfare payments. Government officials believe the measures will force families to take education more seriously. Phil Mercer for VOA News, Sydney, Australia. Also this weekend, Pope Francis has celebrated a huge open-air mass in the centre of Seoul, beatifying 124 Korean martyrs killed in the 18th and 19th centuries for refusing to renounce Christianity. I'm Marty Johnson reporting from Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,536 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T1118CDT-1600Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. An airstrike operation to retake a crucial dam is underway in Iraq and in Ukraine, meetings to discuss peace. I'm Marty Johnson reporting from Washington. An airstrike operation to retake Mosul Dam from Islamist militants is underway in Iraq. Locals, including a Kurdish official, told Western reporters the airstrikes began today, but it's not clear whether the U.S. or the Iraqi military is responsible for them. Militants from the Islamic State group have controlled the dam since early August. Meantime, European Union governments agreed to support individual country decisions to arm Kurdish fighters taking on the militants in Iraq. Lisa Bryant reports. Meeting in Brussels on Friday, the European Union foreign ministers endorsed decisions by individual EU members to send weapons to Iraqi Kurds who are fighting well-armed Islamic State fighters. Speaking after the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expressed satisfaction with the results. For his part, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said London would consider favorably a request to supply arms to Kurdish forces. He also predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a resolution pushed by Britain that threatens sanctions against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist insurgency. Lisa Bryant for VOA News, Paris. British police say one man is dead, at least 19 people hospitalized for dehydration and hypothermia after being found inside a shipping container at a port east of London. Investigators say it was a total of 35 people, including women and children, that were found inside the container today at a dock in Essex. A police superintendent told reporters port workers heard screaming and banging inside the container which arrived on a ship from a Belgian port. He said authorities are searching other containers from the ship. Foreign ministers from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany will meet this weekend to discuss tensions in Ukraine. The meeting is set for tomorrow in Germany's capital, Berlin. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told a German newspaper he hopes the talks will help end violence and provide humanitarian aid in eastern Ukraine. In the meantime, the White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. Jamie Dettmer has more on the controversy and the cloud over the Russian troops and trucks from Donetsk. Mystery remained over the fate of a Russian military column that Western journalists spotted crossing the border in the dead of night on Thursday. And Ukraine's security services spokesman, Colonel Andrey Leshenko, told reporters in Kiev that appropriate action had been taken against the Russian column and that part of it no longer exists. The new separatist prime minister of the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic dismissed the assertion. Ukrainian officials say the Russian armed column entered Ukraine around the same time as a Russian convoy Moscow says is humanitarian. Kiev fears the aid convoy is a cover for an invasion. Jamie Dettmer, VOA News, Donetsk. News and witnesses in the Central African Republic say a suspected Muslim rebels have killed at least 34 people in the past week in a series of raids on northern villages. Some of the attackers are threatening to raid more villages and witnesses say they believe that the fighters are ex-Salika fighters. The World Health Organization says the number of people dead of Ebola in West Africa has risen to 1,145. The UN agency says Tuesday and Wednesday of this week it received reports of 150 new and suspected as well as confirmed cases of the virus. In a statement on Friday, the WHO said 76 more deaths had been reported during the same period the majority in Liberia. Doctors without Borders President Joanne Liu, who just returned from West Africa, said it felt like a wartime when she visited the affected countries. I really had the feeling that it is like a wartime in terms of fear, general fear all over where you are, nobody not understanding what's going on. She also said the magnitude of the Ebola outbreak had created stress in health care centers. Pope Francis is celebrating a mass and a huge open air mass in the center of Seoul to beatify 124 Korean martyrs killed in the 18th and 19th centuries. Beatification is the final step before sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. In his homily today before a crowd of hundreds of thousands, Francis denounced the growing gap between the rich and the poor. On Friday, he urged nearly 50,000 Seoul Korean youths, South Korean youths to renounce materialism. I'm Marty Johnson reporting from Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,763 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T1154CDT-1600Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. An airstrike operation to retake a crucial dam is underway in Iraq and in Ukraine, meetings to discuss peace. I'm Marty Johnson reporting from Washington. An airstrike operation to retake Mosul Dam from Islamist militants is underway in Iraq. Locals, including a Kurdish official, told Western reporters the airstrikes began today, but it's not clear whether the U.S. or the Iraqi military is responsible for them. Militants from the Islamic State group have controlled the dam since early August. Meantime, European Union governments agreed to support individual country decisions to arm Kurdish fighters taking on the militants in Iraq. Lisa Bryant reports. Meeting in Brussels on Friday, the European Union foreign ministers endorsed decisions by individual EU members to send weapons to Iraqi Kurds who are fighting well-armed Islamic State fighters. Speaking after the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expressed satisfaction with the results. For his part, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said London would consider favorably a request to supply arms to Kurdish forces. He also predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a resolution pushed by Britain that threatens sanctions against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist insurgency. Lisa Bryant for VOA News, Paris. British police say one man is dead, at least 19 people hospitalized for dehydration and hypothermia after being found inside a shipping container at a port east of London. Investigators say it was a total of 35 people, including women and children, that were found inside the container today at a dock in Essex. A police superintendent told reporters port workers heard screaming and banging inside the container which arrived on a ship from a Belgian port. He said authorities are searching other containers from the ship. Foreign ministers from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany will meet this weekend to discuss tensions in Ukraine. The meeting is set for tomorrow in Germany's capital, Berlin. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told a German newspaper he hopes the talks will help end violence and provide humanitarian aid in eastern Ukraine. In the meantime, the White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. Jamie Dettmer has more on the controversy and the cloud over the Russian troops and trucks from Donetsk. Mystery remained over the fate of a Russian military column that Western journalists spotted crossing the border in the dead of night on Thursday. And Ukraine's security services spokesman, Colonel Andrey Leshenko, told reporters in Kiev that appropriate action had been taken against the Russian column and that part of it no longer exists. The new separatist prime minister of the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic dismissed the assertion. Ukrainian officials say the Russian armed column entered Ukraine around the same time as a Russian convoy Moscow says is humanitarian. Kiev fears the aid convoy is a cover for an invasion. Jamie Dettmer, VOA News, Donetsk. News and witnesses in the Central African Republic say a suspected Muslim rebels have killed at least 34 people in the past week in a series of raids on northern villages. Some of the attackers are threatening to raid more villages and witnesses say they believe that the fighters are ex-Salika fighters. The World Health Organization says the number of people dead of Ebola in West Africa has risen to 1,145. The UN agency says Tuesday and Wednesday of this week it received reports of 150 new and suspected as well as confirmed cases of the virus. In a statement on Friday, the WHO said 76 more deaths had been reported during the same period the majority in Liberia. Doctors without Borders President Joanne Liu, who just returned from West Africa, said it felt like a wartime when she visited the affected countries. I really had the feeling that it is like a wartime in terms of fear, general fear all over where you are, nobody not understanding what's going on. She also said the magnitude of the Ebola outbreak had created stress in health care centers. Pope Francis is celebrating a mass and a huge open air mass in the center of Seoul to beatify 124 Korean martyrs killed in the 18th and 19th centuries. Beatification is the final step before sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. In his homily today before a crowd of hundreds of thousands, Francis denounced the growing gap between the rich and the poor. On Friday, he urged nearly 50,000 Seoul Korean youths, South Korean youths to renounce materialism. I'm Marty Johnson reporting from Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,763 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T1334CDT-1800Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. Airstrikes to retake a dam in Iraq and in the Ukraine, meetings to discuss the future. I'm Marty Johnson reporting from Washington. An airstrike operation to retake Mosul Dam from Islamist militants is underway. Locals, including a Kurdish official, told Western reporters the airstrikes began today, but so far it's not clear whether the U.S. or the Iraqi military is responsible for them. Militants from the Islamic State group have controlled the dam since August. European Union governments have now agreed to support individual country decisions to arm Kurdish fighters taking on the militants. Lisa Bryant reports. Meeting in Brussels on Friday, the European Union foreign ministers endorsed decisions by individual EU members to send weapons to Iraqi Kurds who are fighting well-armed Islamic State fighters. Speaking after the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expressed satisfaction with the results. For his part, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said London would consider favorably a request to supply arms to Kurdish forces. He also predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a resolution pushed by Britain that threatens sanctions against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist insurgency. Lisa Bryant for VOA News, Paris. British police say one man is dead, at least 19 others hospitalized for dehydration and hypothermia after being found inside a shipping container at a port east of London. Authorities say a total of 35 people, including women and children, were found inside the container today at a dock in Essex. A police superintendent told reporters that port workers heard screaming and banging inside the container, which had arrived on a ship from a Belgian port, and that the investigation is treating the death as a homicide. Foreign ministers from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany meet this weekend to discuss tensions in Ukraine. The meeting is set for tomorrow in Germany's capital, Berlin. The German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, told a German newspaper he hopes the talk will help end the violence and provide humanitarian aid in eastern Ukraine. Meantime, the White House says it cannot confirm that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. Jamie Demer reports. Mystery remained over the fate of a Russian military column that Western journalists spotted crossing the border in the dead of night on Thursday. And Ukraine's security services spokesman, Colonel Andrey Leshenko, told reporters in Kiev that appropriate action had been taken against the Russian column and that part of it no longer exists. The new separatist prime minister of the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic dismissed the assertion. Ukrainian officials say the Russian armed column entered Ukraine around the same time as a Russian convoy, Moscow says, is humanitarian. Kiev fears the aid convoy is a cover for an invasion. Jamie Detmer, VOA News, Donetsk. Officials and witnesses in the Central African Republic say suspected Muslim rebels have killed at least 34 people over the past week in a series of raids in northern villages. Witnesses said today they believe the attackers were ex-Salika fighters and that some of the attackers threatened to raid more villages before a U.N. peacekeeping force can be deployed. The World Health Organization says the number of people who have died from Ebola in West Africa is now at over 1,145, with 152 new suspected and confirmed cases of the virus. In a statement, the WHO said 76 more deaths had been reported during the same period, the majority in Liberia. Earlier today, international aid organizations that have been helping Ebola victims said they were struggling to keep up with the epidemic. Doctors Without Borders president Joanne Glu. And they need, right now, help. They need leadership, coordination, means they will not be able to overcome that by themselves unless some extra capacity is coming in the country. And as well, if we don't stabilize Liberia, we'll never stabilize the whole region. Glu said the magnitude of the outbreak has created stress within the health care centers. Pope Francis is celebrating a huge open-air mass this weekend in Seoul to beatify 124 Korean martyrs who were killed in the 18th and 19th centuries for refusing to renounce Christianity. Beatification is the last step before sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. In his homily today before a crowd of hundreds of thousands in Seoul, Francis also denounced the growing gap between the rich and poor. On Friday, the Pope urged nearly 50,000 Seoul South Korean youths to renounce materialism that is afflicting much of Asia. I'm Marty Johnson reporting from Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,818 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T1430CDT-1900Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. Airstrikes reported at Mosul Dam in Iraq. Kenya takes a step to battle Ebola. I'm Vincent Roos reporting from Washington. According to locals, an effort to retake Mosul Dam in northern Iraq from Islamist militants got underway Saturday. Foreign reporters say locals and a Kurdish told them airstrikes began on Saturday, however it is not clear whether the U.S. or the Iraqi military is responsible for them. Militants from the Islamic State's group have controlled the dam since early August. On Friday, U.S. military officials said drone strikes against Islamic State insurgents have destroyed two armed vehicles south of the Iraqi town of Sinjar. In another move to strengthen Iraqi forces, the European Union has agreed to support individual EU member decisions to support arms to Iraqi Kurds who are battling Islamic State militants. VOA's Lisa Bryant has a report. Meeting in Brussels on Friday, the European Union foreign ministers endorsed decisions by individual EU members to send weapons to Iraqi Kurds who are fighting well-armed Islamic State fighters. Speaking after the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expressed satisfaction with the results. For his part, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said London would consider favorably a request to supply arms to Kurdish forces. He also predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a resolution pushed by Britain that threatens sanctions against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist insurgency. Lisa Bryant for VOA News, Paris. More on this story at VOANews.com. More steps are being taken in Kenya to combat the Ebola virus outbreak. The health ministry there said the Kenyan government decided to close its borders to travelers from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the three countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak. In a statement, the health ministry said Saturday the government's decision was based on the World Health Organization's stance that the magnitude of the outbreak had been vastly underestimated and could continue for some time. British police say one man is dead, at least 19 people hospitalized for dehydration and hypothermia after being found inside a shipping container at a port east of London. Investigators say a total of 35 people, including women and children, were inside the container found at a dock in Essex on Saturday. The International Committee of the Red Cross says it is trying to secure the release of five of its workers who have been kidnapped in Afghanistan. An ICRC spokesman says a local armed group kidnapped the workers on Friday in Western Herat province. The spokesman also said the International Relief Organization was working on multiple levels on Saturday to secure staff members' release. The foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany are set to meet this weekend in Germany's capital city to discuss tensions in Ukraine. That meeting is set for Sunday. In Washington, the White House says it cannot confirm reports that Ukrainian troops destroyed a Russian military convoy that had allegedly crossed into eastern Ukraine. Jamie Dettmer has more in the controversy and the clout over the Russian trucks from Donetsk. ...the fate of a Russian military column that Western journalists spotted crossing the border in the dead of night on Thursday. And Ukraine's security services spokesman, Colonel Andrey Leshenko, told reporters in Kiev that appropriate action had been taken against the Russian column and that part of it no longer exists. The new separatist prime minister of the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic dismissed the assertion. Ukrainian officials say the Russian armed column entered Ukraine around the same time as a Russian convoy, Moscow says, is humanitarian. Kiev fears the aid convoy is a cover for an invasion. Jamie Dettmer, VOA News, Donetsk. Pope Francis celebrated a huge open air ass in the center of Seoul, South Korea, Saturday. The pope was present to beatify 124 Korean martyrs who were killed in the 18th and 19th centuries for refusing to renounce Christianity. Beatification is the last step before sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. In his homily Saturday before a crowd of hundreds of thousands at Seoul's Gwangwamun Gate, Francis denounced the growing gap between the rich and the poor. Officials and witnesses at the Central African Republic say suspected Muslim rebels have killed at least 34 people over the past week in a series of raids on northern villages. There's more details on this and many other stories at our website voanews.com. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,673 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T1530CDT-2000Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. Muslim rebels cited for attacks in the Central African Republic. Airstrikes reported at Mosul Dam in Iraq. I'm Vincent Bruce reporting from Washington. In the Central African Republic, witnesses are reporting a series of raids on northern villages. This week are the work of ex-Selica fighters. At least 34 people have been killed in the past week. Officials and witnesses say suspected Muslim rebels were responsible. The witnesses say some of the attackers threatened to raid more villages before United Nations peacekeeping forces deployed to the CAR in mid-September. The French news agency says some villagers were shot at point-blank range, while others were hanged, tortured or beaten to death in the recent attacks. The latest reports of military activity in Iraq. An airstrike operation to retake Mosul Dam from Islamist militants has begun. Locals, including a Kurdish official, told Western reporters the airstrikes began on Saturday, but it is unclear whether the U.S. or the Iraqi military is responsible for them. Militants from the Islamic State group have controlled the dam since early August. On Friday, U.S. military officials said drone strikes against Islamic State insurgents have destroyed two armed vehicles south of the Iraqi town of Sinjar. The European Union Friday agreed to support individual EU member decisions to supply arms to Iraqi Kurds who are battling Islamic State militants. Also Friday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to impose sanctions on the spokesman for the Islamic State group and five other men for recruiting or financing Islamic fighters in Iraq and Syria. British Ambassador Mark Lyle Grant, whose delegation drafted the text, said the new measures target those financing, arming or recruiting for the militants. This resolution does four things. It sends a strong and clear political message to the terrorists and those who support them. Secondly, it focuses on important practical measures, choking off recruitment and in particular the supply of foreign fighters. And thirdly, it tackles the funding and financing of these terrorist groups. And lastly, it applies sanctions to six individual terrorists and their key financial backers. More on this story at voanews.com. In Britain, police report one man is dead, at least 19 people hospitalized for dehydration and hypothermia after being found inside a shipping container at a port east of London. Investigators say a total of 35 people, including women and children, were inside the container found at a dock in Essex. The International Committee of the Red Cross says it's trying to secure the release of five of its workers who have been kidnapped in Afghanistan. An ICRC spokesman says a local armed group kidnapped the workers on Friday in their western Hirat province. Beginning next week, school attendance will be linked to welfare payments for parents in Aboriginal lands in South Australia. If parents don't send their children to school, they could lose state benefits. From Sydney, Phil Mercer has a report. Ambitious targets have been set to bring Indigenous school attendance up to Australia's national average of around 90%. It will be a tough challenge. In some remote settlements, official figures show that almost 90% of Aboriginal children struggle to read and write. Barely half stay at school beyond the age of 15. In tribal areas in South Australia, jobless parents who don't send their children to school could now lose part of their welfare payments. Government officials believe the measures will force families to take education more seriously. Phil Mercer for VOA News, Sydney, Australia. Pope Francis celebrated a huge open-air mass in the centre of South Seoul, Korea, Saturday. The Pope was present to beatify 124 Korean martyrs who were killed in the 18th and 19th centuries for refusing to renounce Christianity. Beatification is the last step before sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. The foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany are expected to meet Sunday to discuss tensions in Ukraine. The meeting is to take place in Berlin, Germany's capital. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told Bild newspaper that he hopes the talks will help put an end to violence in eastern Ukraine and help provide residents of the war-torn region with humanitarian aid. More on all of these stories at our website, voanews.com. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,527 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T1630CDT-2100Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. The U.S. is taking responsibility for airstrikes in northern Iraq. Some promising news about Ebola in Guinea. I'm Vincent Bruce reporting from Washington. United States officials say it was the U.S. that launched airstrikes Saturday as Iraqi forces launched an operation to retake Mosul Dam from Islamic State militants. The U.S. officials say the military operation involved fighter bombers and armed drones as cover for Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting to take the dam from militants that seized it earlier this month. In Other Islands Saturday, witnesses say Islamic State militants massacred 80 people, most of them members of the Yazidi religious minority, during a raid on the northern Iraqi village of Kocho, another international movement. Germany's Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, met in Erbil with the president of Iraq's Kurdish region, Masoud Barzani. Steinmeier said Germany has made extra humanitarian aid money available for people fleeing Islamists. The international president of Doctors Without Borders says the Ebola epidemic is in different stages in three countries. The situation has somewhat stabilized in Guinea while it is spiraling out of control in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Doctors Without Borders president, Dr. Joanne Liu, said Friday. And they need, right now, help. They need leadership, coordination, means they will not be able to overcome that by themselves unless some extra capacity is coming in the country. And as well, if we don't stabilize Liberia, we'll never stabilize the whole region. Meantime, the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says he is optimistic that Ebola, which is decimating people in West Africa, can be defeated. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Red Cross headquarters in Geneva. More than 1,500 Red Cross volunteers are working in Ebola-affected communities in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Secretary General of the International Red Cross Federation, El Hajj Assi, says he is humbled by the work they do. I don't know how I would look like if six months after Ebola, then I come to say thank you while during the time when they were on the field, risking their lives and doing the best they could. And I sit in Geneva all the time. See says volunteers are coming from 17 different countries around the world. And I think that showed a very strong sense of solidarity. Lisa Schlein for VOA News, Geneva. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, it is working to secure the release of five of its workers who have been kidnapped in Afghanistan. ICRC spokesman Mark Racich says a local armed group kidnapped the workers on Friday in western Herat province. The governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon, has declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew in the town of Ferguson, Missouri, following another night of clashes sparked by the August 9 shooting death of an unarmed African-American teenager by police. Nixon said Saturday the state of emergency was not to silence people but to contain a handful of looters who are endangering the community. The latest violence came after Ferguson police released reports that included video they said showed Michael Brown involved in a robbery and confrontation with a convenience store clerk shortly before Brown was shot and killed. Crowds gathered Friday night near that store. Some protesters broke away from the large group and looted several stores while other demonstrators urged them to stop. A large number of protesters in Islamabad say they will not move until their demands are met. Ayas Gul has more. Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters camping out in the center of the Pakistani capital Saturday said they will not disperse until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif quits and new elections are held. A populist Muslim cleric Tahir ul Qadri and opposition leader Imran Khan gathered their in Islamabad at separate locations, prompting authorities to tighten security at key areas of the city. The two movements are not officially allied, but both want the immediate removal of Prime Minister Sharif from office. Ayas Gul for VOA News, Islamabad. At least 50 people reportedly have now died and another 75 missing in flooding and landslides in India and Nepal. Torrential rains have triggered the flash floods and landslides over the past few days in a western region. Nepal's home ministry said Saturday flooded roads and landslides have prevented rescue workers from reaching people in remote villages. They say thousands of people are believed to be displaced. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,665 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T1734CDT-2200Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. In Iraq, new airstrikes and a pledge for new humanitarian aid. International Red Cross workers reportedly are kidnapped in Afghanistan. I'm Vincent Roos reporting from Washington. U.S. officials say the U.S. military launched airstrikes Saturday as Iraqi forces launched an operation to retake Mosul Dam from Islamic State militants. The official say the airstrikes involved F-A-18 fighter bombs and armed drones. They provided cover to Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting to take the dam from militants that seized it earlier this month. In other developments Saturday, Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier met in Erbil with the president of Iraq's Kurdish region, Massoud Barzani. Steinmeier said Germany has made extra humanitarian aid money available for people fleeing the Islamists. We've already spent 4.5 million euro for humanitarian aid and the German cabinet has decided on Wednesday this week that we are spending another 20 million euro for humanitarian aid. Mr. Barzani described what is happening in the region as a tragic situation. Witnesses reported Islamic State militants massacred 80 people, most of them members of the Yazidi religious minority, during a raid on the northern Iraqi village of Koto Saturday. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, it is working to secure the release of five of its workers who have been kidnapped in Afghanistan. Marak Resich, ICRC spokesman, says a local armed group kidnapped the workers on Friday in western Herat province. Resich said the International Relief Organization was working on multiple levels Saturdays to secure staff members' release. A large number of protesters in Islamabad say they will not move until their demands are met. POA's Ayas Gul has more. Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters camping out in the center of the Pakistani capital Saturday said they will not disperse until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif quits and new elections are held. A populist Muslim cleric Tahir ul Qadri and opposition leader Imran Khan gathered their supporters in Islamabad at separate locations, prompting authorities to tighten security at key areas of the city. The two movements are not officially allied, but both want the immediate removal of Prime Minister Sharif from office. Ayas Gul for VOA News, Islamabad. The foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany are expected to meet Sunday to discuss tensions in Ukraine. The meeting is to take place in Berlin, Germany's capital. In the Central African Republic, witnesses are reporting a series of raids on northern villages in the past week. Of the work of ex-Salika fighters, at least 34 people have been killed in the past week. Officials and witnesses say suspected Muslim rebels were responsible. The head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society says he is optimistic that Ebola, which is decimating people in West Africa, can be defeated. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Red Cross headquarters in Geneva. More than 1,500 Red Cross volunteers are working in Ebola-affected communities in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Secretary General of the International Red Cross Federation, El-Haj Assi, says he is humbled by the work they do. I don't know how I would look like if six months after Ebola, then I come to say thank you. And while during the time when they were on the field, you know, risking their lives and doing the best they could, and I sit in Geneva all the time. See says volunteers are coming from 17 different countries around the world. And I think that showed a very strong sense of, you know, solidarity. Lisa Schlein for VOA News, Geneva. The international president of Doctors Without Borders says the Ebola epidemic is in different stages in three countries. President Dr. Joanne Liu said Friday the situation is somewhat stabilized in Guinea while it is spiraling out of control in Sierra Leone and Liberia. In the U.S., Texas Governor Rick Perry says he'll fight an indictment against him for abuse of power. Perry spoke Saturday. A day after a grand jury in the state capitol, Austin, charged him with abuse of power. The charges stem from a funding veto that was seen as being intended to force the resignation of a local district attorney. Perry says the charge against him is a political move and that he has done nothing wrong. More news at voanews.com 24 hours a day on these and other stories. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,538 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T1830CDT-2300Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. Thousands are in protest in Islamabad. The U.S. takes responsibility for airstrikes in northern Iraq. I'm Vincent Roos reporting from Washington. There were tons of thousands of anti-government protesters camping out in the center of the Pakistani capital Saturday, and they said they will not disperse until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif quits and new elections are held. Ayah Sghul has more. A populist Muslim cleric Tahir ul-Qadri and opposition leader Imran Khan gathered thousands of their supporters in Islamabad at separate locations, prompting authorities to tighten security at key areas of the city. The two movements are not officially allied, but both want the immediate removal of Prime Minister Sharif from office. Addressing the gathering during a rainstorm, Qadri reiterated allegations that the national electoral process produces only incompetent and corrupt rulers. So this parliament is never going to provide any kind of change in the life of 200 million people. Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan has warned protesters against any violence. Ayah Sghul for VOA News, Islamabad. A large Russian convoy remains stalled near the border with Ukraine, equating security guarantees to allow it to cross into Ukraine with humanitarian aid. Nearly 300 trucks are parked outside the Russian town of Kamenshchatynsky, awaiting clearance to pass into eastern Ukraine. The International Committee of the Red Cross would then have the responsibility for distributing the aid to Ukrainians caught in the middle of the conflict with Ukrainian forces and separatists. Earlier Saturday, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to discuss the situation in Ukraine. More details on these stories at VOANews.com. U.S. officials say the U.S. military launched airstrikes Saturday as Iraqi forces launched an operation to retake Mosul Dam from Islamic State militants in northern Iraq. The officials say the airstrikes involved F-A-18 fighter bombers and armed drones. They provided cover to Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting to take the dam from militants that seized it earlier this month. In other developments, Germany's foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier met in Erbil with the president of Iraq's Kurdish region, Masoud Barzani. Steinmeier said Germany has made extra humanitarian aid money available for people fleeing the Islamists. Spent already four and a half million euro for humanitarian aid, and the German cabinet has decided on Wednesday this week that we are spending another 20 million euro for humanitarian aid. The international president of Doctors Without Borders says the Ebola epidemic is in different stages in three countries. The situation has somewhat stabilized in Guinea, while it is spiraling out of control in Sierra Leone and Liberia. That's according to Doctors Without Borders president Dr. John Liu on Friday. Meantime, the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society says He's optimistic that Ebola, which is decimating people in West Africa, can be defeated. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Red Cross headquarters in Geneva. More than 1,500 Red Cross volunteers are working in Ebola-affected communities in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Secretary General of the International Red Cross Federation, El-Hajj Assi, says he is humbled by the work they do. I don't know how I would look like if six months after Ebola, then I come to say thank you while during the time when they were on the field, risking their lives and doing the best they could. And I sit in Geneva all the time. See says volunteers are coming from 17 different countries around the world. And I think that showed a very strong sense of solidarity. Lisa Schlein for VOA News, Geneva. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, it's working at this time to secure the release of five of its workers who have been kidnapped in Afghanistan. Maraka Reisich, ICRC spokesman, says a local armed group kidnapped the workers on Friday in western Hirat province. The governor of Missouri in the United States, the governor Jay Nixon, has declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew in the town of Ferguson, Missouri, following another night of clashes sparked by the August 9th shooting death of an unarmed African-American teenager by police. There have been clashes throughout the week after the controversial shooting. More details at VOANews.com. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,550 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T1930CDT-0000Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. The U.S. conducts a series of airstrikes in northern Iraq. Red Cross workers kidnapped in Afghanistan. I'm Vincent Bruce reporting from Washington. U.S. warplanes conducted airstrikes Saturday in northern Iraq near the city of Erbil and a strategic dam in an effort to help Iraqi forces retake it from Islamic State militants. The U.S. military said Saturday nine airstrikes destroyed or damaged armored personnel carriers, an armored vehicle, and Humvees. The officials said the airstrikes involved F.A. 18 fighter jets and drones. The strikes provided cover to Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting to retake Mosul Dam from militants who seized it earlier this month. The dam is Iraq's largest. It is in northern Iraq on the Tigris River. And other developments on Saturday. Witnesses said Islamic State militants massacred 80 people, most of them members of the Yassidi religious minority, during a raid on the northern Iraqi village of Kocho. Also, Germany's foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, met in Erbil with the president of Iraq's Kurdish region, Massoud Barzani. Steinmeier said Germany has made extra humanitarian aid money available for people fleeing the Islamists. The International Committee of the Red Cross says it's trying to secure the release of five of its workers who have been kidnapped in Afghanistan. An ICRC spokesman says a local armed group kidnapped the workers on Friday in western Herat province. The spokesman said the International Relief Organization was working on multiple levels on Saturday to secure staff members' release. More details on these stories at voanews.com. There were tens of thousands of anti-government protesters camping out in the center of the Pakistani capital Saturday, and they said they will not disperse until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif quits and new elections are held. Ayaz Gul has more. A populist Muslim cleric Tahir ul Qadri and opposition leader Imran Khan gathered thousands of their supporters in Islamabad at separate locations, prompting authorities to tighten security at key areas of the city. The two movements are not officially allied, but both want the immediate removal of Prime Minister Sharif from office. Addressing the gathering during a rainstorm, Qadri reiterated allegations that the national electoral process produces only incompetent and corrupt rulers. Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan has warned protesters against any violence. Ayaz Gul for VOA News, Islamabad. A large Russian convoy remains stalled near the border with Ukraine, awaiting security guarantees to allow it to cross into Ukraine with humanitarian aid. Nearly 300 trucks are parked outside the Russian town of Kamensk-Shatynsky, awaiting clearance to pass into eastern Ukraine. The International Committee of the Red Cross would then have the responsibility for distributing the aid to Ukrainians caught in the middle of the conflict with Ukrainian forces and separatists. On Saturday, the head of the ICRC delegation for Russia said Moscow and Kiev have agreed on how to proceed in terms of clearing, inspecting, and preparing the goods. He noted the security guarantees were needed from all sides before the trucks could move. The head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says he is optimistic that Ebola, decimating people in West Africa, can be defeated. A vicious line reports for VOA from Red Cross headquarters in Geneva. More than 1,500 Red Cross volunteers are working in Ebola-affected communities in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Secretary General of the International Red Cross Federation, El-Hajj Assi, says he is humbled by the work they do. I don't know how I would look like if six months after Ebola, then I come to say thank you. While during the time when they were on the field, you know, risking their lives and doing the best they could. And I sit in Geneva all the time. C says volunteers are coming from 17 different countries around the world. And I think that showed a very strong sense of solidarity. Lisa Schlein for VOA News, Geneva. A state of emergency has been declared in the U.S. state of Missouri, curfew imposed in the town of Ferguson, Missouri, following another night of clashes sparked by the August 9th shooting death of an unarmed African-American teenager by police. The state of emergency, not to silence people, but to contain a handful of looters who endangered the community. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,497 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T2030CDT-0100Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. U.S. warplanes back Iraqi fighters on Saturday. Humanitarian aid awaits at the edge of Ukraine. I'm Vincent Bruce reporting from Washington. U.S. warplanes conducted airstrikes Saturday in northern Iraq near the city of Erbil in a strategic dam in an effort to help Iraqi forces retake it from Islamic State militants. The U.S. military said Saturday nine airstrikes destroyed or damaged armored personnel carriers, an armored vehicle, and Humvees. Officials said the airstrikes involved F-A-18 fighter jets and drones. The Iraqi and Kurdish forces were attempting to retake Mosul Dam from militants who seized it earlier this month. Germany's foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, met in Erbil with the president of Iraq's Kurdish region, Masoud Barsani. Steinmeier said Germany has made extra humanitarian money available for people fleeing the Islamists. Spent already four and a half million euro for humanitarian aid, and the German cabinet has decided on Wednesday this week that we are spending another 20 million euro for humanitarian aid. A large convoy of Russian trucks remains stalled near the border with Ukraine, awaiting security guarantees to allow it to cross into Ukraine with humanitarian aid. The trucks are parked outside the Russian town of Kamenst-Shatynsky, awaiting clearance to pass into eastern Ukraine. The International Committee of the Red Cross would then have the responsibility for distributing the aid to Ukrainians caught in the middle of a conflict with Ukrainian forces and separatists. The state of emergency and curfew has been imposed in the United States town of Ferguson, Missouri, following another night of clashes marked by the August 9th shooting death of an unarmed African-American teenager by police. The governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon, had a news conference Saturday. To protect the people and property of Ferguson today, I signed an order declaring a state and ordering the implementation of a curfew in the impacted area of Ferguson. Again, this is not to silence the people of Ferguson or this region or others, but to contain those who are drowning out the voice of the people with their actions. We will not allow a handful of looters to endanger the rest of this community. At the news conference, Nixon said he was committed to making sure the forces of peace and justice prevail. He also thanked citizens who tried to stop looters from ransacking stores Friday. The latest violence came after Ferguson police released reports that included video they said showed Michael Brown involved in a robbery in confrontation with a convenience store clerk shortly before Brown was shot and killed. Crowds gathered Friday night near that store. Some protesters broke away from the large group and looted several stores while other demonstrators urged them to stop. A large number of protesters in Islamabad say they will not move until their demands are met. IS Ghul has more. Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters camping out in the center of the Pakistani capital Saturday said they will not disperse until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif quits and new elections are held. A populist Muslim cleric Tahir ul Qadri and opposition leader Imran Khan gathered their supporters in Islamabad at separate locations, prompting authorities to tighten security at key areas of the city. The two movements are not officially allied, but both want the immediate removal of Prime Minister Sharif from office. I asked Ghul for VOA News Islamabad. The international president of Doctors Without Borders says the Ebola epidemic is in different stages in three countries. The situation has somewhat stabilized in Guinea, according to Doctors Without Borders president Dr. Joanne Liu Friday. He said while it is spiraling out of control in Sierra Leone and Liberia. And they need right now help. They need leadership coordination means they will not be able to overcome that by themselves unless some extra capacity is coming in the country. And as well, if we don't stabilize Liberia, we'll never stabilize the whole region. The International Committee of the Red Cross says it is working to secure the release of five of its workers who have been kidnapped in Afghanistan. Marak Rasich, ICRC spokesman, says a local armed group kidnapped the workers on Friday in Western Herat province. It says the efforts are continuing to secure the staff members release. More at VOANews.com. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,531 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T2130CDT-0200Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. Russian humanitarian convoy awaits security at the Ukraine border. U.S. warplanes back Iraqi fighters on Saturday. I'm Vincent Bruce reporting from Washington. A large Russian convoy of almost 300 trucks remain stalled near the border with Ukraine, awaiting security guarantees to allow it to cross into Ukraine with humanitarian aid. The trucks are parked outside the Russian town of Comenst, Ashaktinsky, awaiting clearance to pass into eastern Ukraine. The International Committee of the Red Cross would then have the responsibility for distributing the aid to Ukrainians caught in the middle of the conflict with Ukrainian forces and separatists. On Saturday, the head of the ICRC delegation for Russia said Moscow and Kiev have agreed on how to proceed in terms of clearing, inspecting, and preparing the goods. Earlier Saturday, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to discuss the situation in Ukraine. U.S. warplanes reportedly conducted nine airstrikes over Iraq Saturday. U.S. military officials said fighter jets and drones supported an effort to help Iraqi and Kurdish forces retake the strategic Mosul Dam in northern Iraq. The dam in northern Iraq was seized by Islamic State militants earlier this month. The dam is Iraq's largest. It is in northern Iraq on the Tigris River. Pope Francis plans to meet with Asian bishops and hold a closing mass for Asian Youth Day on Sunday, the fourth day of his five-day trip to South Korea. On Saturday, the Pope celebrated a huge open air mass in the center of Seoul to beatify Korean martyrs who were killed in the 18th and 19th centuries for refusing to renounce Christianity. Beatification is the last step before sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. A state of emergency and curfew has been imposed in the town of Ferguson, Missouri in the United States following another night of clashes sparked by the August 9th shooting death of an unarmed African-American teenager by police. At a news conference Saturday, Jane Nixon, the governor of Missouri, said the state of emergency was not to silence people but to contain a handful of looters who are endangering the community. Nixon thanked citizens who tried to stop looters from ransacking the stores Friday. To protect the people and property of Ferguson today, I signed an order declaring a state of emergency in order to implement a curfew in the impacted area of Ferguson. This is not to silence the people of Ferguson or this region or others, but to contain those who are drowning out the voice of the people with their actions. The latest violence came after Ferguson police released reports that included video they said showed Michael Brown involved in a robbery in confrontation with a convenience store clerk shortly before Brown was shot and killed. Kenya Saturday announced it is closing its borders to travelers from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the three countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak. The health ministry said Saturday that the government's decision was based on information from the World Health Organization, which had said the magnitude of the outbreak had been vastly underestimated and could continue for some time. Also Saturday, Kenya Airways joined other airlines that have announced flight restrictions in West Africa as a result of Ebola. The carrier said it is suspending flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone effective Tuesday. A large number of protesters in Islamabad say they will not move until their demands are met. Ayas Gul has more. Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters camping out in the center of the Pakistani capital Saturday said they will not disperse until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif quits and new elections are held. A populist Muslim cleric Tahir ul Qadri and opposition leader Imran Khan gathered their supporters in Islamabad at separate locations, prompting authorities to tighten security at key areas of the city. The two movements are not officially allied, but both want the immediate removal of Prime Minister Sharif from office. Ayas Gul for VOA News, Islamabad. Texas Governor Rick Perry is vowing to fight an indictment against him for abuse of power, saying the charge against him is a political move. Perry spoke Saturday, one day after a grand jury in the state capitol. Austin charged him with two felony counts, abuse of official capacity and coercion of a public official. The charges stem from a funding veto that was seen as being intended to force the resignation of a local district attorney. There's more on these and many other stories at our website, voanews.com. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,720 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T2230CDT-0300Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. U.S. conducts airstrikes to help Iraqi forces retake Dam. And Kenya announces border and flight restrictions to prevent Ebola. I'm Bill Michaels reporting from Washington. U.S. warplanes conducted airstrikes Saturday in northern Iraq, near the city of Ibril, and a strategic dam in an effort to help Iraqi forces retake it from Islamic State militants. The U.S. military said Saturday nine airstrikes destroyed or damaged armored personnel carriers, an armored vehicle, and Humvees. The officials said the airstrikes involved FAA-18 fighter jets and drones. The strikes provided cover to Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting to retake Mosul Dam from militants who seized it earlier this month. The dam is Iraq's largest. It's in northern Iraq on the Tigris River. Kenya has announced it's closing its borders to travelers from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the three countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak. The health ministry said Saturday that the government's decision was based on information from the World Health Organization, which had said the magnitude of the outbreak had been vastly underestimated and could continue for some time. In a statement, the ministry also said the temporary travel suspension affected all of Kenya's ports of entry, but would not include health care professionals who are trying to fight the spread of the virus. The head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says he is optimistic that Ebola, which is decimating people in West Africa, can be defeated, but he warns time is of the essence to stop the spread of the deadly disease. Lisa Schlein has more on this story from Geneva. More than 1,500 Red Cross volunteers are working in Ebola-affected communities in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Secretary General of the International Red Cross Federation, El-Hajj Assi, says he is humbled by the work they do. I don't know how I would look like if six months after Ebola and I come to say thank you while during the time when they were on the field risking their lives and doing the best they could and I sit in Geneva all the time. C says volunteers are coming from 17 different countries around the world. And I think that showed a very strong sense of solidarity. Lisa Schlein for VOA News, Geneva. The governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon, has declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew in the town of Ferguson following another night of clashes sparked by the August 9 shooting death of an unarmed African-American teenager by police. Nixon said Saturday the state of emergency was not the silence people, but to contain a handful of looters who are endangering the community. And just last night, the courage and resolve of peaceful protestors who stood up against violent instigators, volunteers coming out, coming forward, even in this morning's steady rain to help their neighbors pick up the pieces. As governor, I'm committed to making sure the forces of peace and justice prevail. The latest violence came after Ferguson police released reports that included video that showed Michael Brown involved in a robbery in confrontation with a convenience store clerk shortly before Brown was shot and killed. Tens of thousands of anti-government protestors rallied in Pakistan's capital Saturday, vowing to stay until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigns and new elections are held. The protestors are part of separate demonstrations led by opposition leader Imran Khan and Muslim cleric Tahir al-Qadri. Qadri told his supporters Mr. Sharif should be arrested when he steps down. A large Russian convoy remains stalled near the border from Ukraine, awaiting security guarantees to allow it to cross into Ukraine with humanitarian aid. Nearly 300 trucks are parked outside the Russian town of Kamensk, Shabinsky, awaiting clearance to pass into eastern Ukraine. The International Committee of the Red Cross would then have the responsibility for distributing the aid to Ukrainians caught in the middle of the conflict with Ukrainian forces and separatists. Pope Francis has celebrated a huge open-air mass in the center of Seoul to beatify 124 Korean martyrs who were killed in the 18th and 19th centuries for refusing to renounce Christianity. Reporting from Washington, I'm Bill Michaels. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,353 |
VOA-newscast-2014-08-16T2330CDT-0400Z.txt | From Washington, this is VOA News. U.S. conducts airstrikes to help Iraqi forces retake Dam. Kenya announces border and flight restrictions to prevent Ebola. I'm Bill Michaels reporting from Washington. U.S. warplanes conducted airstrikes Saturday in northern Iraq near the city of Erbil. And a strategic dam in an effort to help Iraqi forces retake it from Islamic State militants. The U.S. military said Saturday nine airstrikes destroyed or damaged armored personnel carriers, an armored vehicle, and Humvees. The officials said the airstrikes involved F-18 fighter jets and drones. The strikes provided cover to Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting to retake Mosul Dam from militants who seized it earlier this month. The dam is Iraq's largest in northern Iraq on the Tigris River. Kenya has announced it is closing its borders to travelers from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the three countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak. The health ministry said Saturday that the government's decision was based on information from the World Health Organization, which had said the magnitude of the outbreak had been vastly underestimated and could continue for some time. In a statement, the ministry also said the temporary travel suspension affected all of Kenya's ports of entry, but would not include health care professionals who are trying to fight the spread of the virus. Also Saturday, Kenya Airways joined other airlines that have announced flight restrictions in West Africa as a result of Ebola. The governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon, has declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew in the town of Ferguson following another night of clashes sparked by the August 9 shooting death of an unarmed African-American teenager by police. Nixon said Saturday the state of emergency was not the silence people, but to contain a handful of looters who are endangering the community. So to protect the people and property of Ferguson today, I signed an order declaring a state of emergency in order to implement a curfew in the impacted area of Ferguson. Again, this is not to silence the people of Ferguson or this region or others, but to contain those who are drowning out the voice of the people with their actions. We will not allow a handful of looters to endanger the rest of this community. The latest violence came after Ferguson police released reports that included video they said showed Michael Brown involved in a robbery and confrontation with a convenience store clerk shortly before Brown was shot and killed. Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters camping out in the center of the Pakistani capital Saturday said they will not disperse until the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif quits and new elections are held. A populist Muslim cleric Tahir ul Qadri and opposition leader Imran Khan gathered thousands of their supporters in Islamabad at separate locations, prompting authorities to tighten security at key areas of the city. The two movements are not officially allied, but both want the immediate removal of Prime Minister Sharif from office. Addressing the gathering during a rainstorm, Qadri reiterated allegations that the national electoral process produces only incompetent and corrupt rulers. Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan has warned protesters against any violence. Ayah's goal for VOA News, Islamabad. The International Committee of the Red Cross says it is trying to secure the release of five of its workers who have been kidnapped in Afghanistan. ICRC spokesman Marek Rish says a local armed group kidnapped the workers on Friday in western Herat province. Rish said the International Relief Organization was working on multiple levels Saturday to secure staff members' release. Pope Francis has celebrated a huge open-air mass in the center of Seoul to biannify 124 Korean martyrs who were killed in the 18th and 19th centuries for refusing to renounce Christianity. Biatification is the last step before sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. And a large Russian convoy remains stalled near the border with Ukraine, awaiting security guarantees to allow it to cross into Ukraine with humanitarian aid. In Washington, I'm Bill Michaels reporting. That's the latest world news from VOA. | 4,236 |
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