VOA NEWS

July 3, 2015

From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Ray Kouguell reporting. Iran nuclear talks still unresolved.



Iranian negotiators in Vienna are sending mixed signals about the pace of talks with Western powers on the country's nuclear program.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says negotiators are still seeking agreement.

"But what I would say is that the work goes on. You are going to see over the next few days ministers coming and ministers going to maintain the momentum of these discussions. I don't think we're at any kind of breakthrough moment yet but the work is continuing. We will do whatever we need to do to keep the momentum."

Meanwhile, the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog organization met with Iranian officials in Tehran on Thursday in the latest effort to resolve long-standing questions about Iran's nuclear program.



The International Monetary Fund says that debt-ridden Greece's financial plight is even worse than first thought as the country heads to Sunday's vote on whether to accept lenders' demands for more austerity in exchange for new bailout loans.

The IMF Thursday largely blamed the leftist government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, saying that it's been slow to sell off state assets and will need debt relief along with another $56 billion in new bailout loans through 2018.

Greece is cut off from further European aid after failing to meet last Tuesday's midnight deadline for repaying ($)1.8 billion owed to the IMF.



Suspected Boko Haram militants have killed about 150 people in attacks in northeastern Nigeria.

In the worst attack, officials say 97 people were killed in the town of Kukawa near Lake Chad Wednesday evening. According to witnesses, gunmen entered mosques and shot men while they were praying before the end of the Ramadan fast, then attacked people's homes and shot women preparing meals.



This is VOA news.



Six United Nations peacekeepers were killed and five wounded in an attack in Mali's northern desert.

According to the U.N. peacekeeping force in Mali, the convoy was attacked Thursday in an area about 45 kilometers southwest of the city of Timbuktu.

There has been no claim of responsibility.



Amnesty International says abuses committed in the Republic of Congo during last year's deportation of tens of thousands to the Democratic Republic of Congo could amount to crimes against humanity. Nick Long reports.

In a report published Thursday, Amnesty describes a range of human rights violations allegedly committed by Congo Brazzaville's security forces between April and September of last year during mass expulsions of DRC nationals. The organization says at least 179,000 DRC citizens were expelled at that time from the neighboring country, and that the deportations have continued this year. Congo Brazzaville has said previously that the DRC nationals are illegal foreign workers.

Amnesty's report on this police operation documents reports of arbitrary arrests, extortion and theft, rapes and fatalities. Some of these crimes were allegedly committed by Congo Brazzaville police.

Nick Long, Goma.



Afghanistan lodged an official complaint with Pakistan over a deadly border clash this week between security forces along their shared border. Ayaz Gul has more.

The border clash occurred this past Tuesday in the remote Angoor Adda region, leaving one Afghan guard dead and another wounded. Pakistani officials have confirmed two of their soldiers were wounded.

Kabul alleges Pakistani forces were building new facilities close to the border in violation of mutual agreements, provoking Afghan forces to intervene and open fire.

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Qazi Khalilullah dismissed allegations that the construction activity was unauthorized and said Pakistani forces only responded to the Afghan aggression.

Ayaz Gul, Islamabad.



The British oil company, BP, agreed Thursday to pay $18.7 billion to settle the damage claims from the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Pam Bondi is the attorney general for the state of Florida.

"Just five years later, a potential, ecological and economic tsunami has been avoided because good people all came together and decided it's time to do the right thing."

In an agreement reached with the U.S. Justice Department and five Gulf coast U.S. states, BP said it would pay about $1 billion a year over the next 18 years.

The blowout 1.6 kilometers below the surface set off an explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that killed 11 people and burned the rig. Over several weeks, more than three million barrels of oil spewed into the Gulf before authorities were finally able to cap the well.



I'm Ray Kouguell, VOA news.

That's the latest world news from VOA.