download

Homework

It’s 10:00 Universal Time and here is the news from the Voice of American. I’m Steve Aldridge from the VOA News Center in Washington.

/ a suicide bomber has killed at least eight people at the cafeteria at the building where the parliament meets in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone. At least 20 other people were injured in the blast. President Bush strongly condemned the attack and told reporters in Washington that the United States will continue to stand with the Iraqi government. From Northern Iraq VOA’s Margaret Bishier has more.

The explosion happened Thursday afternoon after parliament had finished this morning’s session. Some lawmakers were eating lunch or having tea in the cafeteria at the Convention Center where the assembly meets when the blast occurred. The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but the US military spokesman in Iraq Major General William Caldwell said there are indications it was the result of a suicide attack. Officials from the Sunni National Dialogue Party confirmed that one of their legislators Mohammed A was among the dead. In Washington President Bush strongly condemned the attack.

Our message to Iraqi government we stand with you and you take steps necessary. / only reconcile politically, but also put security force in place as they’re able to deal with the /.

The parliament meets inside Baghdad Convention Center in the heavily guarded Green Zone which also houses of the US and British embassies and the offices of top Iraqi leaders. Long much safer than the rest of the capital, the Green Zone has recently become the target of intensified attacks. Margaret Bishier, VOA News, /.

Iraqi Parliament has convened in its special session to condemn Thursday’s deadly bombing inside the building but few lawmakers attended. Today’s session was broadcasted on Iraqi television. Meanwhile, US and Iraqi officials are investigating how the attacker panitried the heavy security around Baghdad’s Green Zone and detonated the bomb inside that parliament building.

US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan say American and Afghan troops had rescued, five civilian contractors pinned down by Taliban militants after their helicopter landed in G. province south of Kabul. The statement said US Special Forces and an Afghan police ramped / action team rescued the contractors late Thursday after receiving their distress call. It's a coalition troops killed three Taliban militants who opened fire on the helicopter when made them an emergency landing due to mechanical problems. The coalition statement did not mention the nationalities of those rescued or the company they work for.

North Korea says it’s waiting for confirm that its money frozen in a Macao bank has been released before its starting dismantling its nuclear program. In a statement carried by North Korea’s official media today the Foreign Ministry said the country is unchanged to its intent to implement February nuclear disarmament agreement. But Pyongyang says it will only start taking action after the long-running banking dispute is resolved. The February agreement requires North Korea to dismantle its nuclear reactor by Saturday.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is rapping of his three-day visit to Japan with the trip to the country’s ancient capital Kyoto. Mr. Wen attended a traditional Japanese / today in Kyoto held in the room that has a phrase mutual respect written in calligraphy on the wall earlier today in Tokyo. Mr. Wen said many people believe the aim of his ice-melting trip had been achieved, but he says not all the problems had been resolved and more time is needed to address all the issues.

The Indonesian militant known as H has denied any involvement in several well-known attacks in his country and says he has no connection with the al-Qaida terrorist network that the denials were carried transcript for at least Thursday from a close hearing held this month at the Guantanamo Bay US Naval Base. H told the military here that he was not involved in the Bali nigh-club bombing in 2002 or the series of church bombings on Christmas Eve in 2000. He said he was also not involved in the alleged plot to attack the US, Australian and British embassies in Singapore.

More news on the internet at voanews.com. I’m Steve Aldridge, VOA news