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From Washington, this is VOA news. Iran nuclear talks extended. White House alarmed over military buildup in eastern Ukraine. I'm Ray Kouguell reporting from Washington.
Negotiators for the U.S., Iran, and the European Union will hold a second day of high-level talks in Oman Monday on the future of Iran's nuclear program. They are working to resolve differences ahead of a deadline fast approaching. VOA's Pam Dockins reports. Secretary of State Kerry, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif and EU negotiator Ashton smiled but made no comment to reporters about the talks as they opened their session on Sunday. But as he traveled to Oman, Zarif did say that he thought the most important issues that needed to be discussed were uranium enrichment and sanctions. "It is important for the West to understand that sanctions have never contributed to the resolution of this issue, sanctions are not a part of a solution, sanctions are the most important part of the problem." Negotiators are working against a November 24th deadline to balance Iran's desire to enrich uranium for fuel and Western concerns that Iran is trying to make nuclear weapons. Pam Dockins, VOA news, Oman. Thousands of illuminated white balloons were released into the night skies over Berlin as the German capital concluded Sunday's celebration of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The helium-filled balloons were perched on poles matching the 3.6-meter height of the Berlin Wall and stretched for 15 kilometers. In a day marked by solemnity and sheer joy, tens of thousands of people flocked to a citizens' party at the Brandenburg gate. Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel led the day of events, including the placing of a rose in one of the few remaining sections of the wall to commemorate those who died trying to escape to the West. This is VOA news. The White House is voicing "grave concern" over reports of military reinforcements pouring into eastern Ukraine from neighboring Russia, including the cross-border transfer of heavy weapons and tanks. National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan also warned that any move by pro-Russian rebels to seize more territory in Ukraine's embattled east would be seen as a "blatant violation" of a cease-fire deal with the Kyiv government. The latest U.S. warning comes as European monitors reported convoys of heavy weapons and armor moving into the east along with a heavy shelling of the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk. Senior Iraqi officials are reporting that the leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was wounded in an airstrike, but the Pentagon says it has no such information. Iraq's Defense Minister Khalid al-Ubaydi reportedly issued a message on his Facebook page confirming that Baghdadi was wounded in a U.S. airstrike last Friday in the northern city of Mosul. Various other reports claim the airstrike killed one of Baghdadi's close aides. Pakistani military officials say two soldiers and 17 militants were killed in clashes near the Afghanistan border Sunday. The soldiers came under fire in North Waziristan. Earlier Sunday, army officials said 13 militants were killed in airstrikes in the nearby Khyber tribal region. They said the dead included an "important terrorist commander known for training suicide bombers." Two Americans freed by North Korea have returned safely to the United States. Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller arrived Saturday night at a military base in the Pacific Coast state of Washington. They flew in the company of U.S. National Intelligence Director James Clapper, who worked to gain their freedom. In a brief news conference at the base, Kenneth Bae expressed thanks to those who had been, in his words, "supporting me and lifting me up and not forgetting me." Bae - a Korean-American missionary - had been in detention since 2012 on a conviction of anti-government activities while leading a group of tourists. Miller had been in prison since April for tearing up his tourist visa in the Pyongyang airport and demanding asylum. China's President Xi Jinping says while the country's economy faces challenges, it's not that bad. Bill Ide explains. President Xi Jinping says that as China adapts to what he calls a "new normal" of slower growth and slacking exports, the country's growth rate is still ranked as one of highest in the world. Mr. Xi says "some people worry that China's economy will fall further. He says "there are indeed risks." China's economy is now at the lowest point since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. Mr. Xi's remarks came at the opening ceremony of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's CEO Leaders Summit. Bill Ide, VOA news, Beijing. I'm Ray Kouguell in Washington. (That's the latest world news from) VOA. |