THE NEWS IN SPECIAL ENGLISH, JULY 24, 2008
It is zero hour thirty Universal Time. I'm Jim Tetter in Washington.
The president of Zimbabwe says his country's presidential election will be held on Friday as planned. Robert Mugabe told supporters in Harare that he would not refuse to negotiate with the opposition. But, he said the government must move forward with what he called, “the legal process of the election.” The main opposition party in Zimbabwe has officially withdrawn from the vote. The Movement for Democratic Change says the country's electoral commission was informed of its withdrawal. On Sunday, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai announced his withdrawal as a candidate for president. He said violence against his supporters made the election impossible.
United States and Iraqi officials say at least ten people were killed in an explosion Tuesday in the Sadr City area of Baghdad. The bomb exploded in a local government building. Iraqi officials said those killed include at least five Iraqi civilians, four Americans and one Italian. Several others were wounded. The dead include an American State Department employee, an American Defense Department official and two American soldiers. Also Tuesday, a car driven by a suicide bomber exploded in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Two people were killed. At least, seventy were injured.
Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have fired three rockets into southern Israel. Two people were wounded. Two of the rockets landed inside the Israeli town of Sderot Tuesday, causing some damage. The third landed in a nearby field. The Islamic Jihad militant group claimed responsibility for the rockets. They said the rockets were in answer to the Israeli raid in the West Bank. Israeli troops killed an Islamic Jihad commander and a Palestinian man. Israel's military says the two men died during a battle with Israeli troops early Tuesday in the city of Nablus.
In Germany, donors at an international conference have promised more than two hundred million dollars for the Palestinian territories. The money is to be used to strengthen the Palestinian Authority's police force and court system. A German official says the donations of two hundred forty-two million dollars are higher than officials expected.
An American military commander says attacks by Taliban militants and other rebels in eastern Afghanistan have increased by forty percent since January. Major General Jeffrey Schloesser told reporters Tuesday that militant attacks have become more complex. He said militants have been burning schools and killing teachers and students. He said they have even used a ten-year-old boy to carry a suicide bomb. Earlier, Afghan officials said fifteen militants were killed in an air strike Tuesday in eastern Afghanistan. They said the American-led coalition bombed the militants as they were withdrawing from an attack at government headquarters in Paktia province.
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Iran says it will consider any request by the United States to open a diplomatic office in Tehran. Iran's state news agency reports that an Iranian foreign ministry official says the government would study the request. But, he said such a request must be received through official communications. Bush administration officials said Monday that the State Department is debating whether to open a diplomatic office in Iran. American diplomats would supposedly operate the office and process visas for Iranians traveling to the United States.
Philippine officials say rescue teams have found no signs of life in a sunken passenger boat. Philippine coast guard and naval officials say divers found fifteen bodies floating in one part of the boat. Many of the victims were not wearing flotation devices. Fallen equipment and objects made it difficult for divers to enter other parts of the boat. More than eight hundred people were on the boat when it turned over Sunday in a powerful storm. Philippine coast guard officials said more than forty people survive the accident. Tuesday, President Bush said the United States is sending an aircraft carrier and other navy ships to help with the rescue effort.
Colombia has postponed re-establishing diplomatic relations with Ecuador. A dispute between the two countries began after Colombia held a cross-border raid in its neighbor's territory. As a result of Colombia's announcement, Ecuador says it may enforce trade restrictions on Colombia. The two countries had agreed to re-establish relations this week at the level of diplomatic representatives. Former American President Jimmy Carter negotiated the agreement. Colombia, however, described recent comments by Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa as insulting. So, they delayed the move. Mr. Correa recently said that Colombia would have to explain the raid. He also said that the bombs used were American. Mr. Correa said his country would be the one to set the time for re-establishing relations.
In the United States, a federal grand jury in North Carolina has charged twenty-six known members of a violent group with crimes in the United States and El Salvador. Charges include murder, transporting illegal drugs, robberies and other crimes. American Attorney General Michael Mukasey and other officials announced the charges against the group known as, “la Mara Salvatrucha” or MS-13. The officials say that since two thousand three the defendants planned to operate as a group of criminals or what is called a gang. They committed four murders and formed a drug transportation operation. The officials said the gang leader directed many of the activities from a prison in El Salvador.
And now briefly, here again is the major news of the hour.
The president of Zimbabwe says his country's presidential election will be held on Friday as planned. United States and Iraqi officials say at least ten people were killed in an explosion Tuesday in the Sadr City area of Baghdad. And, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have fired three rockets into southern Israel.
That's the news in VOA Special English. This is Jim Tetter reporting.
