NATO is expected to approve Turkey’s request for an anti-missile system. The U.S. denies Iranian claims that it has captured an American drone. I’m David Deforest reporting from Washington.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance will authorize the deployment of a missile (defense) system to Turkey within weeks in response to the continuing violence in Syria. Al Pessin Reports.
Secretary-General Rasmussen says the NATO ministers will, in his words, demonstrate our determination to deter against any threats to the alliance’s southeastern border. That border is the Turkish-Syrian frontier with Syria’s more than year-long civil war raging on the other side. Turkey asked for NATO help after Syrian government shelling near the border, hit some areas inside Turkey. The alliance is expected to (deploy) American Patriot missile defense batteries in southeastern Turkey, but Rasmussen said specific decisions will be left to individual countries. Al Pessin, VOA News, Brussels.
A U.S. Navy spokesman says no American drones are missing in the Middle East, despite claims by Iranian media that the country has (captured) an American drone. The Navy spokesman says all drones in the region are fully accounted for.
North Korea appears to be moving ahead with preparations to launch a long-range rocket. South Korean media quoted government officials as saying the North is preparing the second and third stage of its launch vehicle. North Korea says it plans to launch the three-stage rocket between December 10th and 22nd. It says the launch is aimed at placing a satellite in orbit. Its neighbors and much of the rest of the world believe that it is really a (missile test). For more on this story, visit our website voanews.com.
More than 100 Nobel laureates from around the globe are urging China’s incoming President Xi Jinping to free imprisoned Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. The group of (134) Nobel winners sent a letter to Xi today, asking him to “immediately and unconditionally release” Liu, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence for what was called “inciting subversion”.
Vietnam is adding new patrols to protect its fishing grounds in the South China Sea after the country’s state-run energy company accused Chinese vessels of sabotaging one of its boats in disputed waters. State media say the maritime surveillance force will have the authority to (arrest) crews and impose fines on foreign vessels within Vietnam’s declared economic zone. It will be deployed on January 25th.
Meanwhile, India is vowing to protect its interests in the South China Sea. China has reiterated it that it has indisputable sovereignty to islands and surrounding waters there. Anjana Pasricha takes a look.
India’s assertion that it will not back off from protecting its maritime and economic interests in the South China Sea was made by Navy Chief Admiral, D.K. Joshi. Joshi said Monday that although India is not a territorial claimant to the South China Sea, it will deploy naval vessels there as necessary. India’s state-run oil agency, Oil And Natural Gas Corporation has a stake in a portion of the sea which Vietnam says is its exclusive (economic) zone. Anjana Pasricha for VOA News, New Delhi.
Authorities in Bangladesh today detained protesters who fought with police and burned vehicles in the capital, Dhaka. Jamaat-e-Islami, the nation’s largest Islamist Party, has called for a strike today to protest the trial of its leaders. Many schools and businesses were closed. Jamaat-e-Islami is demanding authorities halt the (trials) of its top leaders on war crimes charges stemming from the country’s 1971 war for independence.
A suicide bomber has attacked near a police station in northwest Pakistan, wounding at least six people. Authorities say several police officers were among those wounded in today’s (blast) in Bannu. The Taliban is claiming responsibility.
A typhoon is pounding the southern Philippines, uprooting trees, blowing off roofs, and sending thousands of residents fleeing to government shelters. Typhoon Bopha has winds packing up to 210 kilometers per hour as it made landfall today on the southern island of Mindanao. At least four people were killed, several injured by flying debris.
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I’m David Deforest, more news on the Internet at voanews.com.