• published: 02 Jun 2014
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Thanks to http://gandalf.ddo.jp/ for audio and text Monday, June 2nd, 2014 From Washington, this is VOA news. The Obama administration defends prisoner swap with Afghan Taliban. Israel condemns plans for Palestinian unity government. I'm Ray Kouguell reporting from Washington. Newly freed American prisoner of war Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl is in a U.S. military hospital in Germany where doctors are evaluating his condition. The Taliban in Afghanistan freed Sergeant Bergdahl on Saturday as part of a prisoner exchange for 5 extremists held at the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba. U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is defending President Obama's decision without notifying U.S. lawmakers ahead of time. Secretary Hagel says U.S. officials believe that Sergeant Bergdahl was in danger and decided quickly to secure his release rather than giving congressional leaders a 30-day notice of the prisoner exchange as required by law. Secretary Hagel says Afghanistan's leader also was not informed about the operation in advance. "Secretary Kerry did inform President Karzai after the fact. And this was an operation, I think as everyone recognizes, that had to be very closely held. Only very, very few people knew about this operation. We did not wanna jeopardize any leaks. We couldn't afford any leaks anywhere." The Taliban prisoners were turned over to Qatar, which is promising to hold them for 1 year. Here in Washington, opposition Republicans say they are glad to see Sergeant Bergdahl freed from Taliban captivity in Afghanistan, but criticize the Obama administration for what they say was negotiating with terrorists. Israel is condemning Palestinian plans to inaugurate a controversial new government this week. Robert Berger reports from Jerusalem. Speaking at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Mr. Netanyahu said the world must not embrace this government. "Hamas is a terrorist organization that seeks Israel's destruction," he said. Such a government "would not bolster peace," Mr. Netanyahu said, "it would strengthen terror." Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas decided to end a 7-year rift with Hamas after peace talks with Israel collapsed a month ago. Hamas opposes peace negotiations and does not recognize Israel's right to exist. But Mr. Abbas says his peace policies will remain the official position of the government. Robert Berger, for VOA news, Jerusalem. A suspect was arrested in France in connection with the May 24th shooting at the Jewish Museum in Brussels that killed 3 people. Authorities in France and Belgium say the 29-year-old suspected gunman was arrested on Friday at a bus station in the southern French city of Marseille. At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of a Kalashnikov rifle and a handgun similar to the weapons used in the attack. The man is originally from northern France and believed to have traveled to Syria in 2013 to join Islamist fighters. A bomb blast at a bar in northeastern Nigeria has killed at least 14 people who were watching a soccer match on television. Sunday's attack occurred in the town of Mubi in Adamawa state. There has been no claim of responsibility. Sudan's Foreign Ministry is denying media reports a woman sentenced to death for refusing to renounce her Christian faith will be released within days, following an international outcry. A Foreign Ministry spokesman says Mariam Yahya Ibrahim cannot be released without a ruling from an appeals court. Ibrahim was sentenced to death by hanging last month after declining to declare herself as Muslim. Thailand's military government sent almost !6,000 troops Sunday into the streets of Bangkok to curb protests against its takeover of the government last month. Authorities ordered a major Bangkok shopping center closed after anti-coup protesters tried to prevent an officer from arresting one of their fellow demonstrators. Award-winning British author Mary Soames, the last surviving child of legendary Prime Minister Winston Churchill, has died at the age of 91. Her service during World War II included working as an aide to her father as he, U.S. President Harry Truman and Soviet leader Josef Stalin planned a post-war Europe. Soames also wrote a prize-winning biography of her mother, Clementine, and worked with a number of non-profit groups. She was the youngest of 5 Churchill children. I'm Ray Kouguell in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA.