It's 15:00 hours Universal Time and here is the news from the Voice of America.
I'm David Deforest from the VOA news center in Washington.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says he expects Israel to lift its air, land and sea blockade of Lebanon by Thursday. Speaking to reporters in the Egyptian city of Alexandria today, Mr. Annan said he expects the blockade issue to be resolved within the next 48 hours. Israel has said the blockade will remain in effect until international troops are in place in Lebanon and steps are taken to stop the supply of arms to Hezbollah guerillas. Mr. Annan did not explain the reason for his optimism other than to say he expects what he called a bit of goodwill and reasonableness to resolve the blockade dispute.
Israeli media say 5 European countries are refusing landing rights to flights of Israel's national airline carrier El Al if the aircraft are transporting military supplies for Israel. Reports from Israel today say the chairman of the El Al Pilots Union says Italy, Britain, Portugal, Spain and Germany are refusing to allow El Al cargo planes to land and refuel while they transport US military equipment for Israel.
Turkey's Parliament is said to vote today on a plan to join the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. Ruling party lawmakers are expected to approve supporting the international force after a ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants. Thousands of people gathered near the Parliament building in Ankara today to protest the plan.
India's Prime Minister is warning of more serious attacks in the country possibly targeting economic, religious and nuclear sites. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the Prime Minister is calling on regional governments to improve security to meet the challenge.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issued the grim warning Tuesday to the heads of Indian states and top federal law enforcement officials at a security conference in New Delhi. Mr. Singh says India's Intelligence Agencies have warned that terrorists could hit economic and religious targets as well as nuclear installations. He says suicide attacks are possible. The Prime Minister's warning comes 2 months after bombs on commuter trains in the financial hub of Mumbai killed more than 180 people. The capital New Delhi and the Hindu holy city of Varanasi have also suffered bomb attacks in the past year. India has blamed all these attacks on Islamic militants with links in Pakistan. Mr. Singh says the terror threats come from increasing activities or what he called externally inspired and directed terrorist outfits. Anjana Pasricha , for VOA news, New Delhi.
Pro-Taliban militants in a tribal region in Pakistan have reached an agreement with the government to end attacks in both Pakistan and across the border in Afghanistan. Local officials in the region say the 2 sides signed the peace accord today in Miran Shah, the main town of the semiautonomous north Waziristan region. Pakistani soldiers and paramilitary forces have been fighting Islamic militants in the tribal region where central government powers are not applicable.
Thousands of Somalis have gathered in the capital, vowing to fight against foreign troops that could be deployed to stabilize that country. At least 3,000 supporters of the country's Islamic Courts demonstrated in Mogadishu today while a coalition of east African nations met in Nairobi, Kenya to discuss plans to deploy peacekeepers in Somalia. The African Union plans to continue pressing the Sudanese government meanwhile to allow UN peacekeepers into the Darfur conflict zone.
An Indonesian court has sentenced a man to 8 years in prison in connection with suicide bomber attacks on a Bali island in 2005. Chad Bouchard has more from Jakarta.
A Bali court on Tuesday found Abdul Aziz guilty of harboring the alleged mastermind of the suicide bomber attacks that killed 20 people and injured nearly 200 on the island in October 2005. The 30-year-old former high school computer teacher was also convicted of setting up a website for the organizer of the attacks that called on Muslims to attack westerners. Aziz is the first to be sentenced in connection with the 2005 attacks. Verdicts are expected this month for 3 other defendants also charged with harboring the alleged architect of the bombings Noordin Mohammad Top or for helping to carry out the attacks. Top and those accused in the attacks have been linked to the regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiah or JI. Prosecutors had called for Aziz to serve 10 years in prison but the judges handed down a lighter sentence on the grounds that he was young and had shown remorse. Chad Bouchard, for VOA news, Jakarta.
And in Washington, I'm David Deforest, VOA news, more news on the internet at .
