ລິ້ງ ສຳຫລັບເຂົ້າຫາ

ວັນສຸກ, ໑໙ ເມສາ ໒໐໒໔

Aids Trickles Into Cyclone-Ravaged Burma


BURMA: Disaster relief supplies are trickling into cyclone-ravaged Burma as thousands of refugees leave the disaster area, but there is still no sign the country's military government will allow foreign experts to distribute the aid. The world has pledged nearly 100 million dollars in assistance, but the military leaders are holding up emergency food at the airport, stalling on issuing visas for foreign experts, and insisting on distributing all aid themselves.

LEBANON: Heavy fighting has broken out in northern Lebanon between pro and anti-government supporters, while the capital, Beirut, remains calm as government troops patrol the city. Lebanese security officials say fierce clashes erupted early today (Sunday) in the northern port city of Tripoli between Sunni supporters of the Western-backed government, and (Alawite) allies of the Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah. At least one person was killed in the fighting, bringing the death toll after five days of clashes in Lebanon to 38.

IRAQ: U.S. forces have killed four people, including two civilians, near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. The U.S. military said in a statement today (Sunday) that its forces fired on a vehicle, killing two armed men, a woman and a child. The military says three warning shots were fired and the driver refused to stop. The military says it regretted the deaths of civilians. Iraqi and U.S. troops began a major offensive against the al-Qaida in Iraq group in Mosul on Saturday. Mosul is considered al-Qaida in Iraq's last significant urban stronghold.

Sudan Rebels: Sudanese officials are urging residents in the capital of Khartoum to remain indoors as security forces search for Darfur rebels who clashed with government forces Saturday. Sudan authorities indefinitely extended a curfew in Khartoum today (Sunday) and said they believe some rebels are still in the city. Authorities also showed a picture of the leader of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement, Khalil Ibrahim, on state television and urged residents to call a telephone hotline if they see him. Authorities said they believe Ibrahim personally led the assault on Khartoum and is still in the area - perhaps in the neighboring city of Omdurman.

SERBIA ELECTIONS: Polls are open in the Serbian general elections, which are being seen as a choice between nationalism or greater openness to the West. Public opinion surveys ahead of today's (Sunday's) elections indicate the vote will be evenly divided between the county's two main ideologies, represented by the nationalist Radical Party and the pro-Europe alliance, led by President Boris Tadic. The Radical Party wants to regain control over recently independent Kosovo - a move that would likely scuttle the Tadic faction's ambitions to take Serbia into the European Union.

Audio in Lao.

XS
SM
MD
LG