EDWARD KENNEDY OBIT: U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, the youngest brother of the late U.S.
President John F. Kennedy and one of the most most influential
lawmakers in U.S. history, has died at the age of 77.
Kennedy's family says he died late Tuesday at his home in the small
Massachusetts town of Hyannis Port. The Democratic senator had been
suffering from an incurable form of brain cancer for just over a year.
A statement issued by the family described him as "the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our eyes."
EDWARD KENNEDY REACT: U.S. President Barack Obama says the late U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy was "the greatest United States Senator of our time."
In a written statement released by the White House early Wednesday, Mr.
Obama says he and his wife Michelle were "heartbroken" to learn of
Kennedy's death. The president says he valued the elder lawmaker's
"wise counsel" when they both served in the U.S. Senate, and expressed
gratitude for Kennedy's crucial support during his 2008 presidential
campaign.
KOREAS TENSIONS: Red Cross delegations from North and South Korea are holding talks to
discuss the resumption of reunions for families separated by the
1950-1953 Korean War.
Kim Young-chol, the secretary general of the South Korean Red Cross
office is leading the three man delegation to the Mount Kumgang resort
in North Korea. Kim says family reunions will top the agenda, but adds
the delegation would also make efforts to discuss other humanitarian
matters.
AUSTRALIA - CHINA - GAS DEAL: Australia gave final approval Wednesday for the development of a
massive natural gas field that will supply gas to China and India.
The $42 billion development on Australia's Barrow Island, off its
western coast, will be the country's biggest resources project.
The Gorgon plant will supply natural gas to Asia and will be run by
U.S. oil company Chevron and its partners Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon
Mobil.
Environmentalists argue that the Barrow Island site is home to
threatened species such as the flat back turtle.
AFGHAN - VIOLENCE: Rescue workers in southern Afghanistan continued to sift through rubble
in Kandahar Wednesday, the day after a powerful bomb killed more than
40 people there.
Afghanistan's Interior Ministry says the car-bomb blast wounded at
least 65 people, killed 43, and destroyed a hotel (called Spogmai) and
12 civilian houses.
The International Committee of the Red Cross says one of its staff
members (Abdul Wadood) is among the dead.
Kandahar provincial council head Ahmad Wali Karzai (brother of
President Hamid Karzai) told VOA (Pashto Service) the blast blew
windows and doors off houses half a kilometer away.
SOMALIA - FRANCE: Somali officials say one of two French security advisors held hostage
by insurgents has a escaped and is now safe in the presidential palace.
Somali military, police and government officials in the capital,
Mogadishu, say the French advisor approached soldiers near the
presidential palace early Wednesday.
The officials say the man identified himself and said he had escaped
from his captors who are said to be members of the militant Islamic
group al-Shabab.
HONDURAS: A delegation from the Organization of American States has ended a
two-day mission to Honduras without negotiating an end to the political
impasse over President Manuel Zelaya's ouster in June.
The OAS issued a statement Tuesday saying the delegation failed to
persuade the caretaker government to accept a Costa Rica-brokered plan
that would bring back the deposed president. Foreign ministers from
seven OAS member states traveled to Honduras, accompanied by Secretary
General Jose Miguel Insulza.
Listen to our World News for details.