From Washington, this is VOA News.
Ukrainian parliament considers amnesty for protesters. Egypt had put 20 Al-Jazeera journalists on trial. I’m Ray Kouguell, reporting from Washington.
Ukraine’s parliament is considering an amnesty for scores of people arrested during the past two months in recent political protest in Kiev. Embattled president Viktor Yanukovych says amnesty is only possible if the demonstrators vacate the government buildings they are occupying and remove their barricades from the streets. Ukrainian opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk. “ So, the second issue which is very important for us is constitutional amendments. And I believed today we are to compose special constitutional commission in order to change the constitution to more from presidential to parliamentary presidential republic, and to change the attempt of presidential election to us.” On Tuesday, Mr. Yanukovich accepeted the resignation of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, a key demand of the protesters.
International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi says he does not expect to achieve anything substantive in the first ground of Syrian peace talks ending on Friday but any hope for more productive second around starting about a week late. Earlier the Syrian government and the opposition delegation attending the talks agreed to use the Geneva communique as the bases of discussions. Although they differ on how negotiation should proceed. The document defined the stage needed to end 3 years of fighting and create a transitional government.
Egypt’s top prosecutor says it will put 20 journalists from Al-Jazeera on trial on charges relating to terrorism. It would be the first such trial of reporters since the government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group last month. VOA’s Elizabeth Arrott reports from Cairo. The chief prosecutor’s officer says 16 Egyptian and 4 foreign reporters are facing charges of belonging to a terrorist group, or helping spread false news that instills terror. All work for the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera network, which the Egyptian government and many of its supporters accuse of backing ousted President Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood base. Al-Jazeera has denied the accusation, and has repeatedly called for the release of its staff, saying the charges against them are‘ totally unfounded’. While not named in the statement released Wednesday, Canadian reporter Mohamed Fahmy appears to be the chief defendant. He was not counted among the foreigners as he also identified as an Egyptian national. Elizabeth Arrott, VOA News, Cairo.
Sources in Somalia say a US drone strike on Sunday almost hit the leader of militant group al-Shabab. The militant source and sources close to the African Union mission in Somalia tell VOA that Ahmed Abdi Godane was in the vicinity of the drone attack, which occurred in the Lower Shabelle region. The Somali militant source says Godane is alive, although it is not clear whether the al-Shabab leader was injured.
The government of South Sudan released 7 of the 11 political detainees whose arrest became a sticking point at peace talks with rebels. The 7 men were freed Wednesday and taken to Nairobi under an agreement between South Sudanese president Salva Kiir and Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta. For other detainees including the former Secretary General of South Sudan’s ruling party remain in custody in Juba and are expected face trial on treason charges.
President Obama is on a four-state trip to amplify economic themes from his steadily union address. White House correspondent Dan Robinson has details. The traditional road trip after a state of the union address first took the president to a Washington suburb in Maryland, where he spoke at a Costco store. Standing in front of about three dozen workers and the backdrop of an American flag Wednesday, he renewed his call on Congress to‘ give America a raise’ by increasing the minimum wage. “ Americans overwhelmingly agree, nobody who works full-time should ever have to raise a family in poverty. And that is why I firmly believe it is time to give America a raise.” Mr. Obama wants the federal level raised to $10.10. Dan Robbinson, VOA News, the White House. Mr. Obama later visit the US Steel Cooperation plant near Pittsburgh Pennsylvania to discuss his proposal to create a new savings program for companies that do not offer retirement plans.
National intelligence Director James Clapper says terrorists, having in his words,“ gone to school” on US surveillance efforts that followed Edward Snowden’s information leaks.
I’m Ray Kouguell VOA News. This and other stories at VOANEWS. com.
