It is zero hour thirty Universal Time and here is the news in Special English. ▼ Turkish leaders say relations with Israel have been badly damaged after the deadly Israeli raid on ships taking aid to the Gaza Strip. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Israel is in danger of losing what he called its best friend. President Abdullah Gul said relations between Israel and Turkey will never be the same. Also Thursday, hundreds of mourners gathered in Turkey for the funeral of the nine pro-Palestinian activists killed in the raid. The eight Turks and an American of Turkish ancestry died Monday after Israeli forces gained entry to a Turkish aid ship. Israel has said its forces began firing weapons after they were attacked.
The head of BP says the company should know by Friday if its latest effort to contain a leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico was successful. Tony Hayward said the next step is to put a containment device over the damaged well. If successful, the device will send oil and natural gas from the well to a ship at the water surface. Separately, the United States federal government has sent BP a bill of $69-million for costs. President Obama plans to return to the Gulf coast Friday to examine efforts aimed at stopping the worst oil spill in American history. On Thursday, the president said he is angry about the situation. He criticized the oil company for not responding fast enough to the disaster.
Delegates from across Afghanistan gathered in Kabul Thursday for a second day of peace talks. Tribal elders and other delegates are describing the talks as the last hope for ending nine years of war with Taliban militants. The delegates have been discussing ways to make peace with the Taliban. The deputy head of the conference said some delegates want the United States to release Taliban prisoners. The release would be for prisoners held in military detention centers but who have not been charged. No Taliban representatives were invited to the jirga. The group has said it will not take part in peace talks until all foreign soldiers leave Afghanistan.
Eight more opposition groups have asked Iranian officials for permission to gather on June 12. That is the anniversary of Iran's disputed presidential election. Opposition groups said Wednesday that they had sent a written request to Iran's Interior Ministry. Their request came days after the two main opposition groups asked for permits to demonstrate on June 12. Since last year's violent protests, only pro-government events have been officially permitted to demonstrate. Iran has sentenced more than 80 people to prison in connection with the protests. Several other opposing protesters have been sentenced to death.
The United States and European Union released a joint declaration Thursday. It says they will show respect for Islam and other religions while fighting terrorism. Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba said it is important for Muslims to know that their beliefs are respected. The State Department says the declaration also increases cooperation in fighting terrorism and supports human rights and international law. The EU's anti-terrorism official says the declaration helps ease differences that developed between the EU and the United States in past years. In Bangladesh, at least 77 people have been killed and many others injured in a fire in the capital Dhaka. Officials say the fire started Thursday night after an electrical device exploded. Buildings and homes in the old area of the capital caught fire. Many of the injured have been taken to the government-operated Dhaka Medical College hospital. Rescuers were continuing to search for victims and fear that the number of dead will rise.
A North Korean diplomat has warned that tensions between North and South Korea have increased to the point that war is possible. Ri Jang-Gon said his country is prepared to react to many possibilities, including all-out war. Mr Ri spoke at an international disarmament conference Thursday. He blamed the tensions on South Korea and the United States. He says the nations falsely accused North Korea of firing a torpedo at a South Korean warship in March. An international investigation says a North Korean submarine fired the torpedo. The incident killed 46 South Korean sailors.
The leader of Indonesia's Free Aceh Movement has died at the age of 84. Indonesian officials say Hassan Di Tiro died Thursday in a hospital in Banda Aceh on Sumatra island. He was suffering from a lung infection and heart problems. Mr Di Tiro declared independence for the area in 1976. He left Aceh after the armed separatist campaign began and led his Free Aceh Movement from exile in Sweden. He returned to Indonesia in 2008 after a 2005 peace deal gave Aceh some independence from Indonesia.
The young Dutchman linked to the disappearance of an American girl five years ago has been captured in Santiago, Chile. Joran van der Sloot is wanted in connection with the murder of a woman in Peru. He was captured one day after Chilean officials said Mr van der Sloot had entered the country earlier in the week. He is suspected in the death of 21-year-old Stephany Flores. A video shows the Peruvian woman with the 22-year-old Dutchman in Lima. Police in Peru say Ms Flores's body was later discovered in a hotel where Mr van der Sloot had stayed. Five years ago, the man was questioned about the disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway in Aruba. But lawyers said there was not enough evidence to charge anyone.
