VOA 
2003SE1207NEWS1530.rm
Play

It is 15:30 universal time and you are listening to the news in Special English on the Voice of America.I am John Dryden in Washington.

1.The United States embassador to Afghanistan says officials are investigating the deaths of nine Afghan children in American airstrikes.Embassador Zalmay Khalilzad says he is deeply sadness by the death Saturday in the southern town of Ghazni.The United States and local Afghan officials say the target of the strikes was a commander of troops linked to the ousted Taliban government.In other news the Afghan Interior Minister says two Turkish road builders are missing from the village near Kabul.The official says they may have been kidnapped.Last week rebel fighters released another Turkish engineer seized in the same area.He has been held for almost one month.

2.American military officials in Iraq say a bomb explosion has killed one soldier and wounded two others.An army spokesman says the bomb was on a road in the northern city of Mosul.United States defense secretary Donald Ramsfeld visited Iraq on Thursday. He travelled to the cities of K and Baghdad. Mr.Ramsfeld said efforts continue to bring more Iraqi forces into the fighting against supporters of ousted President Saddam Hussain.He said he believes that Iraqis will be able to provide their own security over time.

3.The Indonesian security minister says terrorists may be planning new attacks in Indonesia.He says the attacks could take place during the new years celebrations and the country's two thousand four elections.He says that terrorist groups are probably reorganizing because of Indonesian government efforts to shoot them down.On Friday the American embassy in Jakarta warned that westerners could be the targets of the terrorist's campaign in later December and early Janualy.Insonesia blames the Jemaah Islamiah group for several deadly attacks including bombings on Bali last year.More than two hundred people died in the attacks.

4.Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao is traveling to Washington for talks with President Bush.The two men met Tuesday to discuss Taiwan, North Korea's nuclear program and international trade. China has denounced the Taiwanese plan for a public vote in March about security issues.The ballot will ask voters if they want China to remove hundreds of Chinese missiles aimed at Taiwan.Mainland officials have threatened to take dirrect action to block any such move.This is Mr.Wen's first trip to the United States since taking office in March. He is expected to ask President Bush to show that United States opposes independence for Taiwan.

You are listening to the news in VOA Special English.

5.The Washington Post Newspaper says many former Soviet rockets armed with radioactive weapons are missing in Moldova.The newspaper reports American and Moldovan officials along with weapons experts say thirty-eight such rockets are missing from Moldovan military supplies.They reportedly say the rockets have been missing for years and probably on the illegal arms markets.The report did not indentify the officials. But it says Moldovan military records show the rockets disappeared years ago.The rockets are considered in exact in targeting.But experts say the rockets could be used to spread radioactive material over a large area.

6.Russian election officials say enough voters have taken part in the legislative elctions to make the vote legal.Citizens are choosing representatives to the four hundred fifty seats parliament.And alliance of pro-government groups is seeking a two third majority in parliament.This would permit the alliance to change Russia's constitution to extend the president's two term limit.Russians are also electing representatives for most of the nation's eighty-nine local governments.

7.Commonwealth officials say a six nation committee has reached an agreement about how to deal with Zimbabwe suspension from the fifty-four nation group.Officials say the committee's decision will be presented Sunday at a meeting of Commonwealth members in the Nigerian capital Abuja.It is not clear if the committee will support continuous suspension from the Commonwealth.However,a spokesman for British Prime Minister Tony Blair says he has extended his stay in Abuja to push for that.The African nation has threatened to leave the Commonwealth if the suspension is not ended.

8.Israel says it will reject any Palestinian cease-fire offer that does not include a complete halt of violance against Israelis.The government says conditional cease-fires are unacceptable.On Thursday Palestinian groups said they will prepare to stop attacks on civilians in Israel if Israel will stop targeting Palestinians.However,the groups said they would continue to attack Israeli soldiers and Jewish settlers in occupied Palestinian territories.The groups spoke in Cairo where they have been meeting since Thursday.

Briefly here are the stories we have been following.
The United States embassador to Afghanistan says officials are investigating the deaths of nine Afghan children in an American airstrikes.
And that's the news in VOA Special English.