It is twenty-three hours thirty Universal Time and here is the news in Special English. ▼ American Vice President Joe Biden says Iran's leaders are harming themselves with their continuing attack on Iranian dissidents. Mr. Biden said Iran's use of force to put down opposition protests has cost it trustworthiness both inside and outside Iran. He made the comments during a discussion on American television. The Vice President also said the United States is considering placing restrictions on Iran's government. Administration officials say President Obama is to meet with Tibet's exiled religious leader, the Dalai Lama. China has repeatedly warned that such a meeting would harm relations between the United States and China. Ties between the two countries are already tense because of disagreements over Taiwan, Internet restrictions and other issues. An Obama administration official said the President told Chinese leaders last year that he would meet with the Dalai Lama and that he aims to go ahead with those plans. The United States says it is important to have relationships with China and Tibet's exiled government. Pakistani intelligence officials say at least sixteen militants have been killed in a suspected American missile attack in the northwestern tribal area. Reports say suspected pilotless airplanes fired more than twelve missiles at a militant center in North Waziristan. The area is a base for the Haqqani militant group. The group is blamed for crossing the border into Afghanistan to attack American, NATO and Afghan troops.
The Israeli Prime Minister has accused the Palestinian group Hamas of launching containers of explosives which have washed up on the Israeli coast. Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will answer the attack but did not give details. Two containers of explosives were found Monday near the Israeli towns of Ashdod and Ashkelon, north of the Gaza Strip. Hamas has not claimed responsibility. But, other Palestinian groups said they sent the bombs out to sea to attack Israeli targets. The Israeli navy says it is watching for other explosive devices in waters off the Israeli coast.
The United Nations emergency food agency says the number of hungry people in southern Sudan has risen sharply in the past six months. The World Food Program said conflicts and long periods without rain have increased the number from one million to four million three hundred thousand. An agency spokeswoman said food prices have gone so high that many people have to sell everything they have to feed their families. The U.N. agency said it will need almost five hundred million dollars to feed an estimated eleven million people across Sudan this year.
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A top American military official says he believes lifting the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military is the right thing to do. Admiral Michael Mullen is Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He told lawmakers Tuesday that he is deeply troubled by a policy that, in his words, “forces people to lie about who they are in order to defend their country.” Mr. Mullen's statement is the strongest yet from the military, though he stated that he was speaking only for himself. He attended the meeting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Mr. Gates said his agency has formed a high-level group to study the policy for one year. The policy permits homosexual Americans to serve in the military as long as they do not make their sexuality public.
Bosnian police have raided a village that is home to a group of highly conservative Muslims. Officials in Bosnia-Herzegovina say six hundred officers took part in the raid on Gornja Maoca Tuesday. Police arrested seven suspects including one foreigner, whose name and nationality, were not released. They also seized weapons and computer storage devices. A spokesman for the government's lawyers' office said police were looking for people suspected of spreading national, religious and racial hatred. Gornja Maoca is home to Bosnia's Wahabi group of Muslims. The United Nations says efforts to help Haiti recover from the recent earthquake are gaining strength. But, U.N. officials say there still are important needs. U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes said health care for the injured and sick is getting better, although it is still not good. He said most of the necessary life-saving operations already have taken place. But, he said important drugs are needed. Mr. Holmes said more people are receiving food. The World Food Program aims to reach two million people in the coming days. The January twelfth earthquake killed up to two hundred thousand people. Officials in Haiti have questioned ten Americans accused of trying to take Haitian children out of the country without permission. The five men and five women were detained last Friday as they tried to enter the Dominican Republic with thirty-three children. The Americans say they were taking the children to a center for parentless children. But, some of the children with them say they have living parents. An aid group, SOS Children's Villages, is now caring for the children. It says some parents have arrived to get their children.
The eighty-second Academy Award nominations were announced Tuesday in Los Angeles, California. Two films, “Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker” each received nine nominations. They included Best Picture and Best Director for James Cameron of “Avatar” and Kathryn Bigelow who directed “The Hurt Locker.” Mr. Cameron was formerly married to Ms. Bigelow. She won the top award at the Directors' Guild of America awards last week. ▲ And now, here again is the major news of the hour.
American Vice President Joe Biden says Iran's leaders are harming themselves with their continuing attack on Iranian dissidents. Administration officials say President Obama is to meet with Tibet's exiled religious leader, the Dalai Lama. And, Pakistani officials say at least sixteen militants have been killed in a suspected American missile attack in North Waziristan.
And, that's the news in VOA Special English coming your way from Washington. Source: VOA Special English February 2, 2010 2330UTC
