|
From Washington, this is VOA news. Coming up, Kyiv officials say they won't let Russia have eastern Ukraine. Close race in partial Afghan vote count. Hello everyone, I'm Steve Norman.
Pro-Russian separatists scuffled with pro-government supporters in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, and in Kyiv, Ukraine President Oleksandr Turchynov said they will launch a "full-scale anti-terrorist operation" against pro-Russian militias in eastern Ukraine. In a televised speech on Sunday, Mr. Turchynov vowed Kyiv will not let Russia take over eastern Ukraine after its annexation of the Crimean peninsula last month. He accused Moscow of carrying out a war against Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry immediately branded Ukraine's operation "a criminal order" and called for urgent consideration of it by the U.N. Security Council. In other news, preliminary results from Afghanistan's presidential election earlier this month show a close contest between two of the candidates. Ayaz Gul reports. The early figures put Abdullah Abdullah in the lead with nearly 42 percent of the votes counted of the seven million ballots cast. His nearest rival, Ashraf Ghani, has about 38 percent. Announcing the details at a news conference Sunday in Kabul, Commission Chairman Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani cautioned this is not the final result and the frontrunner could change. He said there is no doubt fraud has taken place in many parts and the Independent Election Commission is firmly committed to resolve the issue within its authority and present only those results that are free of fraud. The winning candidate will replace President Karzai. Ayaz Gul, for VOA news, Islamabad. A suicide car bomber in northern Iraq killed at least seven people. The bomber drove his explosives-laden vehicle into a security checkpoint northwest of the city of Kirkuk on Sunday. No one has claimed responsibility. Sunday marked the beginning of what's known as a holy week for many Christians. It was Palm Sunday, and Robert Berger attended festivities in Jerusalem. Bells called the faithful to Palm Sunday prayers at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem's Old City, the traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Palm Sunday marks Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on a donkey more than 2,000 years ago. Inside the church, worshippers waving palm and olive branches held a festive procession around the ancient stone Tomb revered as the place where Jesus rose from the dead. "I feel elated. And I give all the glory to God." Jerusalem will host a flood of pilgrims this week as Easter week coincides with the Jewish feast of Passover, which begins at sundown on Monday. Robert Berger, for VOA news, in Jerusalem's Old City. Chilean officials say a huge fire killed at least 16 people and destroyed 500 homes. It happened in the port city of Valparaiso. That's about 120 kilometers northwest of the capital, Santiago. More than 10,000 people have been evacuated. The fire began on Saturday in a forested area above ramshackle housing on one of the city's many hilltops. Chile's president, Michele Bachelet, declared a state of emergency, placing armed forces on the city's streets to maintain order and prevent looting. Voters in Guinea-Bissau stood in long lines on Sunday to pick a new president and parliament, the country's first election since a military coup two years ago disrupted a presidential race as it headed to a second-round runoff. There are 13 presidential candidates, with no clear front-runner. Political analysts say they expect the vote to go to a second round. Fifteen parties are running for parliamentary seats. North Korea for the first time allowed foreign tourists to compete in an annual marathon through the streets of its capital, Pyongyang. Of thousands of participants in Sunday's event, more than 200 were from other countries. The course started and ended at Kim Il Sung Stadium. Participants were greeted at the finish line by more than 40,000 cheering spectators. Officials canceled a tsunami warning issued after a powerful earthquake struck early Sunday near the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. Geological Survey says the 7.6-magnitude quake hit about 100 kilometers south of Kira Kira in the Solomon Islands Some strong waves hit island coasts, but there were no reports of injuries or serious damage. For more on these stories and the rest of the day's news, check at our website. You can find us at voanews.com. I'm Steve Norman, VOA news. |