It is 15:30 Universal Time. I'm Bob Doughty in Washington.
[1] The director of the United Nations AIDS Program has marked World AIDS Day. Peter Piot urged the international community to do all it can to fight the deadly disease. Doctor Piot says the latest worldwide studies show signs of hope. He said that adult infection rates have decreased in a few nations including Kenya, Zimbabwe and some Caribbean countries. But doctor Piot said the number of people infected worldwide has reached its highest level ever. More than 40 million people are infected with the virus that causes AIDS. Almost half of them are women.
[2] American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says World AIDS Day is a chance for people to express their support for action against the disease. Ms. Rice said the United States is leading the fight against AIDS in more than 100 countries. She praised President Bush's emergency plan for AIDS relief. She said the plan is the largest international project ever carried out by a single nation to fight a disease. Mr. Bush announced the plan almost 3 years ago. It is a 5-year 15,000 million-dollar effort to help the 15 nations with the largest number of AIDS cases. World AIDS Day is being observed in cities and towns across the United States.
[3] The Chinese Foreign Ministry says it plans to work closely with Russian officials to limit the effects of a chemical spill moving along a river toward Russia. Russian environmental officials report an increase in levels of the cancer-causing chemical benzene in the Amur River. But Russian officials say it is not clear if the increase is a result of the chemical spill. They said it could take several days before the worst of the spill reaches Russian territory. An explosion at a Chinese factory two weeks ago released 100 tons of poisonous chemicals into the Songhua River.
[4] Also in China, police have arrested 2 Community Party officials. The two officials supervised a coal mine where at least 164 people died Sunday in an explosion. Official state media say the two mine officials were held for suspected failure of duty. Officials have increased their estimate of the number of workers in the mine at the time of the explosion. Rescuers are still searching for 7 miners. 72 miners were found alive. The explosion also killed 2 people above ground.
[5] Officials in Bangladesh say at least 2 persons have been killed in a bomb explosion north of the capital, Dhaka. 30 others were reported injured. A reporter for VOA says the injured include 3 news reporters, 7 lawyers and several policemen. Police say the bomb exploded at a police barrier near a court building in Gazipur, 30 kilometers north of Dhaka. At least 6 people were killed and 50 others injured in a bomb attack in the same area on Tuesday. Police blamed the attacks on the Islamic group Jumatul Mujahideen Bangladesh. The group wants establishment of Islamic law in the country. Lawyers called a strike Thursday to press for greater security and immediate government action to prevent new attacks.
You are listening to the news in VOA Special English.
[6] Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari plans to visit Tokyo next week for talks. Japan's Foreign Ministry said Mr. Jaafari will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Juichiro Koizumi on Monday in Tokyo. The two men are expected to discuss Japan's involvement in rebuilding Iraq. The Japanese government is expected to decide next week on a plan to extend its military operations in Iraq. 600 Japanese troops are working on rebuilding projects in southern Iraq. The troops are to begin leaving the country at the end of this year.
[7] Rebels in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi launched a brief attack Thursday against an American military base and Iraqi government buildings. People living in Ramadi first reported the incident. They said many gunmen launched rockets while local tribal leaders met with United States military officials. The gunmen are believed to be supporters of the group al-Qaida in Iraq. American and Iraqi troops have been in Ramadi since Sunday. They are carrying out anti-rebel operations in preparation for Iraqi parliamentary elections. The vote is to be held on December 15th.
[8] Officials in Pakistan say an accidental explosion has killed 5 militants near the Afghan border. Officials said 3 foreign militants and 2 Pakistanis were killed. They say the group accidentally set off explosives stored in a home. Some people in Pakistan's northwest tribal area blamed the military. They said attackers fired missiles into the house in a village. They also said the 2 Pakistanis killed were children. Several hundred people later gathered at a nearby village to denounce the suspected attack.
[9] In Egypt, violence and police interference are being reported in the final part of parliamentary elections. Human rights and medical officials say one opposition supporter was killed in clashes with police in a town near Kafr el-Sheik. Many other people were reported injured. A VOA correspondent in the town of Zagazig says riot police have blocked voting centers and threatened voters. Many people there are supporters of a banned group the Muslim Brotherhood. Police interference has also been reported in other areas where opposition candidates have strong support. The final part of voting will decide 136 of the 444 elected seats in parliament. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will appoint the remaining 10 seats.
Briefly here again is the major news of the hour.
The director of the United Nations AIDS Program has urged the international community to do all it can to fight the disease AIDS. China says it plans to work closely with Russian officials to limit the effects of a chemical spill moving along a river toward Russia. And officials in Bangladesh say at least 2 persons have been killed, 30 others injured in a bomb explosion north of Dhaka.
That's the news in VOA Special English.
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