VOA Africa News Summary

Here are today's top stories from VOA Africa. To listen or watch one of our programs or to read more visit our website at www.voaafrica.com.

UN Probes Sexual Misconduct Charges of Ivory Coast Peacekeepers UN contingent's activities have been suspended, and peacekeepers have been confined to barracks Senegal Tries to Stem Irregular Migration Senegalese government and IOM launching campaign to raise awareness of dangers of irregular migration Italians Arrest Three Moroccans on Terrorism Charges Police say suspects used films and other material from Internet to teach terrorist tactics, such as use of poisons and explosives Canada Pledges 6,600 Tonnes Of Maize To Stave Off Zimbabwe Hunger The Canadian donation came on the heels of a U.S. pledge of 47,400 metric tonnes of grain that will feed an estimated 500,000 Zimbabweans Nigeria to File New Lawsuit Against US Pharmaceutical Giant Pfizer Lead lawyer for government tells VOA that lawyers recently discovered material that suggested Pfizer committed fraud

Your daily e-mail from the BBC

	Saturday, 21 July, 2007, 18:00 GMT 03:00 +09:00:Asia/Seoul

Nightmare on M5 Family stranded for 10 hours at start of their summer holiday		Border jumpers The thousands of Zimbabwean migrants fleeing to South Africa

TOP STORIES
	Flood lessons 'must be learned' UK agencies must learn from the floods crisis how to prevent and tackle future emergencies, the PM says.
	First female president for India Pratibha Patil has won India's presidential election and will become the country's first female president, officials say.
	Mars dust storms threaten rovers Dust storms raging on Mars pose the worst threat yet to Nasa's robot rovers, the US space agency says.
	Bush yields power for colonoscopy President Bush temporarily hands power to his vice-president for a routine colon check which is now complete.
	'Dirty bomber' attacked in prison A convicted Al-Qaeda plotter serving life is treated in hospital after he is assaulted by fellow prisoners.

WORLD
	Kabul doubts German killing claim The Afghan government says it does not believe Taleban claims that the militants killed two German hostages.
	Bush yields power for colonoscopy President Bush temporarily hands power to his vice-president for a routine colon check which is now complete.
	Mars dust storms threaten rovers Dust storms raging on Mars pose the worst threat yet to Nasa's robot rovers, the US space agency says.

AFRICA
	UN probes 'abuse' in Ivory Coast A unit of peacekeepers in Ivory Coast is suspended as the UN investigates claims of serious sexual abuse.
	Two held over Rwandan massacres Two Rwandan men wanted for their alleged role in the 1994 genocide are arrested in France, police say.
	Ethiopia's freed leader defiant Ethiopia's opposition leader hits out at the government hours after being pardoned and freed from prison jail.

AMERICAS
	Bush yields power for colonoscopy President Bush temporarily hands power to his vice-president for a routine colon check which is now complete.
	Lula vows to act after air crash Brazil's leader promises to improve air safety, after a Sao Paulo air crash that killed nearly 200 people.
	Springfield set for Simpsons film The world premiere of The Simpsons Movie takes place on Saturday in the US town of Springfield, Vermont.

ASIA-PACIFIC
	S Korea urges release of hostages South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun appeals for the release of up to 23 citizens held captive in Afghanistan.
	N Korea seeks nuclear alternative North Korea's representative at talks on its nuclear programme says it should be given light-water reactors.
	Taiwan applies for UN membership Taiwan makes it first bid for UN membership using its own name in a move dismissed by China.

EUROPE
	Kabul doubts German killing claim The Afghan government says it does not believe Taleban claims that the militants killed two German hostages.
	Turkey prepares for key election Campaigning ends ahead of Turkey's general election, seen as one of the most important in its history.
	'Islamic militants' held in Italy Italian police arrest three men suspected of running a "school of terror" and are searching for a fourth.

MIDDLE EAST
	Baghdad minibus blast kills five A bomb kills five people on a Baghdad minibus as conflicting reports come in of a deadly overnight air strike.
	Denmark ends secret Iraq airlift Denmark ends the evacuation of some 200 Iraqis who it feared faced danger for their links to its troops in Iraq.
	Freed Palestinians welcomed home Some 250 Palestinians released from Israeli jails receive a rapturous welcome in Ramallah on the West Bank.

SOUTH ASIA
	First female president for India Pratibha Patil has won India's presidential election and will become the country's first female president, officials say.
	Kabul doubts German killing claim The Afghan government says it does not believe Taleban claims that the militants killed two German hostages.
	Musharraf 'respects' court ruling Pakistan's president says he will abide by a court ruling to reinstate the chief justice, a vocal opponent.

UK
	Flood lessons 'must be learned' UK agencies must learn from the floods crisis how to prevent and tackle future emergencies, the PM says.
	Servicemen killed in Iraq named The Ministry of Defence releases the names of three RAF servicemen killed in a mortar attack in Iraq.
	'Dirty bomber' attacked in prison A convicted Al-Qaeda plotter serving life is treated in hospital after he is assaulted by fellow prisoners.

ENGLAND
	Hundreds rescued as floods strike The authorities call for military help after more than 750 people are rescued from flooding in Worcestershire.
	Servicemen killed in Iraq named The Ministry of Defence releases the names of three RAF servicemen killed in a mortar attack in Iraq.
	'Dirty bomber' attacked in prison A convicted Al-Qaeda plotter serving life is treated in hospital after he is assaulted by fellow prisoners.

NORTHERN IRELAND
	Motorcyclist killed in road crash A motorcyclist dies and two other people are injured in a crash in the village of Moira in County Down.
	Man is remanded over city killing A 29-year-old man is remanded into custody charged with murdering a homeless man in Belfast.
	Tiger gives Armagh woman headache A spectator from Northern Ireland has two stitches in a head wound after being hit by a wayward shot from Tiger Woods.

SCOTLAND
	Man arrested over missing Vicky A man is arrested and charged by police in connection with the 1991 disappearance of schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton.
	Recalled women have breast cancer Four women recalled amid concerns over standards at a breast cancer clinic are diagnosed with the disease.
	Trio trapped following car crash Three people are cut free from their vehicles following a two-car crash in Edinburgh near the city bypass.

WALES
	Flooding leads to more disruption Pupils on a school trip are stranded miles from home, some roads are blocked and some trains suspended.
	'Finest' serviceman dies in Iraq An RAF serviceman from Flintshire, killed in a mortar attack in southern Iraq, is named.
	Fowler agrees to sign for Cardiff Robbie Fowler will join Cardiff on a two-year contract.

POLITICS
	Flood lessons 'must be learned' UK agencies must learn from the floods crisis how to prevent and tackle future emergencies, the PM says.
	Tories demand urgent Army review The Conservatives call for a review of the Army after a leaked memo warned it had almost no spare troops.
	Johnson on Tory mayor shortlist Boris Johnson is officially named on the Conservative Party shortlist of possible candidates to become London mayor.

BUSINESS
	Bank boss wants mortgages measure The Governor of the Bank of England tells the BBC he wishes mortgage costs were part of the inflation target.
	Land 'no cure for housing crisis' Handing over more greenfield land to housing will not curb rising prices, say campaigners.
	Brown to lobby EU on greener VAT Gordon Brown says he will push for lower taxes on environmentally friendly products across the EU.

ENTERTAINMENT
	Potter books fly off the shelves After months of waiting, fans of the Harry Potter novels have started to devour the final book in the series.
	Springfield set for Simpsons film The world premiere of The Simpsons Movie takes place on Saturday in the US town of Springfield, Vermont.
	Nicky is evicted from Big Brother Big Brother's Nicky Maxwell is the fifth housemate to be evicted from the reality TV show.

SCIENCE/NATURE
	Mars dust storms threaten rovers Dust storms raging on Mars pose the worst threat yet to Nasa's robot rovers, the US space agency says.
	Dinosaurs' slow rise to dominance The dinosaurs might have gone out with a sudden bang, but their rise to dominance was a gradual ascent, not a sudden takeover.
	Saturn's 60th moon is discovered A new moon is spotted orbiting Saturn, bringing the planet's latest moon tally up to 60, Cassini scientists say.

TECHNOLOGY
	Net criminals shun virus attacks Hi-tech criminals are turning away from viruses to mount the most serious attacks, warn security experts.
	Robot to carry out heart surgery A robotic arm able to carry out an intricate life-saving heart operation is being pioneered by UK surgeons.
	Google mulls spectrum auction bid Google considers a bid in the forthcoming wireless spectrum auction in the US, if certain conditions change.

HEALTH
	Chemo best for child brain cancer Chemotherapy treatments for children with brain tumours reduces long-term damage, say researchers.
	Tax alcohol more, says top doctor The Chief Medical Officer for England says alcohol tax should be increased to protect people's health.
	Midwives ballot industrial action Midwives in England are to vote on whether to take industrial action over pay.

EDUCATION
	Pupil history knowledge 'patchy' Pupils in primary and secondary schools across England lack an overview of history, Ofsted warns.
	Do universities need new inquiry? Mike Baker surveys the higher education landscape, 10 years since Lord Dearing recommended tuition fees.
	Academies 'popular with parents' Academies are becoming oversubscribed - with 15,000 families unable to find places in the first 42 schools.

ON THIS DAY NEWS FROM THE BBC ARCHIVES
	1969: Man takes first steps on the Moon American Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to walk on the Moon.
	2005: Tube chaos after more blasts London's underground network is plunged into chaos after explosions on two trains and a bus - exactly a fortnight after four suicide bomb blasts in the capital.
	1954: Peace deal ends Indo-China war Eight years of war come to an end as the French cede control of northern Vietnam to the Communist Viet Minh after signing the Geneva Accord.

SPECIAL COVERAGE

Missing mistress A fresco fragment on display in Italy revives a Papal scandal		Family feud The battle for control of Wagner's controversial legacy