I m David De Forest from the VOA News Center in Washington. Pakistani (prosecutors) have charged seven men with planning and help to carry out last year’s Mumbai (terrorist attacks) that killed 166 people. All seven suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges today at a maximum security prison in Rawalpindi, just a few kilometers from the capital Islamabad. Pakistan is holding the (proceedings) behind close doors and (judiciary officials) did not (elaborate on) the charges. Islamist (insurgents) in Somalia have told the United Nations World Food Program to stop importing food aid to the country. The group al-Shabab said in a statement today the importation of food is ruining Somalia’s (agricultural sector). The rebel said the WFP must start buying food from local farmers for distribution to the needy. A new report says that United Nations backed military efforts have failed to (subdue) Rwandan Hutu rebels in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. In a report for the UN Security Council, researchers say the offensive by Congolese and UN forces has only made life worse for civilians in the Congo’s North and South Kivu provinces. The report says the fighting in related violence has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. President Barack Obama says the US partnership with India will be one of the (defining) relationships of the 21st century. VOA’s Kent Klein reports from the White House where Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made the first state visit of the Obama (presidency). The leaders of the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest (pledge) to work together to strengthen the global economy, (curb climate change), limit the spread of nuclear weapons and fight terrorism. Mr. Singh promised to cooperate more closely with the US to defeat terrorists. The forces of terrorism in our region (pose a great threat to) the entire civilized world and have to be defeated. When questioned about the long-standing (rivalry) between India and Pakistan, Mr. Obama said it is not Washington s role to try to resolve the conflict from the outside. But he said the US can find ways to help. On the other hand, we want to be encouraging of ways in which both India and Pakistan can feel secure and (focus on) the development of their own countries and their own people. Kent Klein, VOA News, the White House. Prosecutors in the trial of former Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav known as Duch (pronounced DOIK) have demanded that he be sentenced to 40 years in jail for his role in the killing of thousands of Cambodians. Co-prosecutor William Smith told a UN backed (tribunal) today that Duch spread terror across Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge s 1975 to 1979 rule. Smith said Duch should be (held accountable for) what he called his (unrelenting brutality) at the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh. Duch is accused of an execution of more than 15, 000 men, women and children in Cambodia. Philippine authorities have uncovered 11 more bodies in mass graves in southern Maguindanao province, raising the (death toll) to 57 in one of the country s worst political (massacres). The victim’s (tearful) relatives gathered by the cool graves today while Manila President Gloria Arroyo declared a national day of mourning and vowed to hunt down the perpetrators. South Korea is preparing what may be its first aid transfer to North Korea in more than two years. As VOA’s Kurt Achin reports from Seoul the humanitarian gesture represents a tiny (fraction) of the amount of aid donated by previous governments. South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said Monday that the government is ready to help hungry North Koreans with emergency food aid. Chun said Seoul is ready to send 10, 000 tons of corn, 20 tons of (milk powder) and various medical supplies to North Korea. He described the offer as a (humanitarian) operation targeted at the most (vulnerable) North Koreans, including children and pregnant women. The offer follows recent talks between Red Cross officials from the two countries which would (oversee) the distribution of the supplies. North Korea has not yet formally accepted the aid but it seems as likely to do so. Kurt Achin, VOA News, Seoul. Muslims from around the world are in the Saudi city of Mecca for the hajj (pilgrimage). At least two and half million people are expected to take part in the annual ritual as authorities worked to overcome warnings of (swine flu) and safety concerns. Saudi officials began a swine flu (vaccination) campaign ahead of the hajj. I m David De Forest. More news on the internet at voanews. com.