VOA NEWS

March 13, 2014

From Washington, this is VOA news. Coming up, the latest on a missing Malaysia Airlines plane, Ukraine's interim leader at the White House. Hello everyone, I'm Steve Norman.



China has released satellite images of what could be parts of a missing Malaysia Airlines plane floating in the South China Sea.

Official Chinese media quote a government statement that says the satellite images were taken on Sunday, one day after the Boeing 777 disappeared. The images were not released until Wednesday.

They show three fairly large objects floating in the sea between Malaysia and the southern tip of Vietnam along what was the jet's original flight path. It is difficult to tell what the objects are, and no one else involved in the investigation has confirmed what the images show.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared early Saturday on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Two hundred thirty-nine people were on board.



President Obama has warned Russia again --he did it on Wednesday-- that the West will "apply costs" to Moscow if it continues to interfere in the affairs of Ukraine.

Mr. Obama spoke at the White House alongside interim Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

The president referred to Russia's military presence in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula as a threat to Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. He also said Washington "completely rejects" Sunday's planned Russia-backed referendum on whether to secede from Ukraine, calling the vote a violation of international law.

Mr. Yatsenyuk thanked Washington for its support, and said his government is "absolutely ready and willing" for talks with Moscow. But he said Ukraine will never surrender.

U.S. Senator John McCain is set to lead a bipartisan delegation to Kyiv on Thursday, described as a show of congressional support for the interim government

And U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will pursue more diplomatic efforts at a meeting in London this week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

That part of the story now from VOA's Jeff Seldin.

America's top diplomat says the face-to-face meeting will take place Friday and is just the latest in a series of conversations he and President Barack Obama have had with Russia officials.

"While we respect obviously that Russia has deep historical, cultural and other kinds of interests with respect to Ukraine and particularly Crimea, nothing justifies a military intervention that the world has witnessed."

And he said the U.S. does not believe it would serve anyone's interests to isolate Russia.

Jeff Seldin, VOA news, Washington.



Sudanese police have fired tear gas at protesters who called for "revolution" on Wednesday, following the funeral of a student demonstrator. The student died on Tuesday from injuries sustained during a protest against violence in the Darfur region.

It's unclear how the student died. He was attending a protest at the University of Khartoum. Amnesty International says the student died of gunshot wounds after security forces used live ammunition and tear gas on demonstrators.

In a statement, the Sudanese government said police only used tear gas during the protest.



Mali's National Assembly is expected to discuss the creation of a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission this week. Human rights groups have expressed concern that the proposed commission will not have the necessary independence to make a difference.

VOA's Anne Look reports.

The new Mali is a work in progress. The crisis of 2012 and 2013 divided the country like never before, both literally and figuratively. A French-led military intervention may have physically reunited much of the country early last year, but communal divisions are far from healed.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita says national reconciliation is a top priority but first Malians must figure out what exactly happened and why.

This week, the National Assembly will debate the legal framework to create a commission to do just that.

The proposed commission would have three years to explore crimes committed during this most recent crisis and during previous conflicts in the north.

Anne Look, VOA news, Dakar.



Visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron addressed Israel's parliament on Wednesday, denouncing Iran's government as a "despotic regime" and accusing Tehran of carrying out "despicable" efforts to arm Palestinian militants.

Mr. Cameron said Britain will stand alongside Israel in opposing a nuclear Iran and combating Islamic extremism.



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