VOA News for 30 June 2013 - 20130630
Channel: ListenAndReadAlong
Date: 30/06/2013

Thanks to http://gandalf.ddo.jp/ for audio and text
VOA NEWS  Sunday June 30th, 2013
From Washington, this is VOA news.  President Barack Obama discusses issues with young South Africans in a town hall meeting, and Somali government and the United Nations call on clan militias to end violence in Kismayo.  I'm Vincent Bruce reporting from Washington.
The Somali government and the United Nations have called on clan militias fighting in the port city of Kismayo to halt the violence and solve their differences through dialogue.
The latest violence erupted Friday evening.  Militia commanders say at least five people have died in Kismayo in the past two days of fighting.
VOA's Mohammed Yusuf has a report.
Violence has erupted again in the Somali port city of Kismayo among clan militias fighting for control of the city.
Witnesses say confrontation between rival militias continued into Saturday and there was no sign of a letup in fighting.
Somali government spokesman Abdirahman Omar Osman says the central government in Mogadishu has called for an immediate ceasefire and he says no group can win through armed confrontations.
"We hope a solution will be found which can lead us to a reconciliation conference to be held for all parties, groups in the area."
The city has been simmering with tension since last month, after three different clan leaders said they were president of the newly created Jubaland region.
Mohammed Yusuf for VOA news, Nairobi.
More details at voanews.com.
Tensions are rising in Egypt, where mass demonstrations are planned Sunday calling for President Mohamed Morsi to step down.
Organizers of the protest claimed Saturday that more than 22 million people signed their petition demanding the Islamist leader resign, asserting that the tally is a reflection of how much the public has turned against his rule.
Late Saturday, thousands gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square ahead of the planned demonstrations.
U.S. President Barack Obama engaged young people from South Africa and three other African nations for more than an hour on Saturday, taking questions on issues ranging from economic growth and job opportunity in Africa.
VOA's senior White House correspondent Dan Robinson has a report on the town hall meeting and Mr. Obama's talks earlier in the day with President Jacob Zuma.
Paying tribute to heroes of the anti-apartheid movement including former President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, what followed was a wide-ranging question and answer session with young people gathered from Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria on issues ranging from the need for accountable governments and jobs to climate change to threats from extremist groups.
Mr. Obama said groups like Boko Haram are "doing great harm," taking advantage of weak African governments, but that the United States is helping to build African governments' capacity to respond to extremism.
"We want the African union and other regional organizations to build up the capacity to send in peacekeepers."
President Obama did not visit ailing former President Nelson Mandela in his hospital bed, instead meeting privately with Mr. Mandela's daughters and grandchildren.
Dan Robinson, VOA news with President Obama in South Africa.
Earlier, Mr. Obama and President Jacob Zuma discussed the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the political situation in Zimbabwe and South Africa's fight against HIV/AIDS.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is shuttling between Jordan and Israel intent on restarting peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
The top U.S. diplomat met Friday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman and then quickly returned to Jerusalem for a second round of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Kerry and Netanyahu were still meeting well after midnight in Jerusalem.
British Prime Minister David Cameron made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan Saturday to reinvigorate peace talks with the Taliban and reassure the Kabul government of the international community's continued support.
"I believe that the Taliban watching all this progress are beginning to realize that they are not going to secure a role in Afghanistan's future through terror and violence, but by giving up their arms and engaging in a political process."
Mr. Cameron's visit comes just days after a brazen Taliban attack in central Kabul shattered hopes that the war is over.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden reportedly has spoken to Ecuador's president about Edward Snowden, the fugitive former intelligence contractor who is seeking asylum in Ecuador.
President Correa revealed details of his conversation with Biden during his Saturday weekly address.
White House officials say Biden discussed Snowden's case with Mr. Correa but declined to provide details.
For all the latest, visit us at voanews.com 24 hours a day.  I'm Vincent Bruce, VOA news, reporting from Washington.