VOA News for 24 June 2013 - 20130624
Channel: ListenAndReadAlong
Date: 2013-06-24

Thanks to http://gandalf.ddo.jp/ for audio and text
VOA NEWS  Monday June 24th, 2013  
Now the news from the Voice of America.  Mandela's condition worsens.  American wanted on espionage charges seeks asylum.  I'm Christopher Cruise reporting live from the VOA news center in Washington.
Nelson Mandela's condition has worsened over the past 24 hours and he is now reported to be in "critical" condition.
South African presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj talking to   "President Jacob Zuma accompanied by ANC deputy president, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa, visited the former president this evening, the 23rd of June, in hospital.  They were briefed by the medical team who informed them that the former president's condition had become critical over the past 24 hours."
The 94-year-old former South African president has been in the hospital since earlier this month, being treated for a lung infection.
We are following the story closely and we will report on any changes in Mr. Mandela's condition immediately here on VOA.
An American man wanted by the U.S. government on charges of releasing secret documents has reportedly asked for political asylum from Ecuador.  Edward Snowden flew to Moscow Sunday from Hong Kong, where he'd been living since leaving the United States last month.  He is expected to leave Monday for Cuba   He has said he was responsible for leaking documents that news reports [say] show how extensive American monitoring of telephone and Internet communications has been.
America officials say his passport has been canceled and he should not be permitted any more international travel because of the espionage charges against him.
Gunmen have killed nine foreign mountain climbers and their guide at a base camp of one of the world's tallest mountains in northern Pakistan.
The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for killing six Ukrainians and three Chinese.  The group says it killed the climbers in retaliation for the deaths of their leaders who were killed last month in a drone strike.
Ayaz Gul reports the search for the killers is under way.
Pakistani troops assisted by the local civilian administration have cordoned off the area, and a massive manhunt is under way to capture the attackers.
Authorities and locals believe the killings are not the work of ordinary criminals, and the gunmen must have trained and planned the attack for months because the area is accessible to only climbers, local guides and Pakistani troops.
Ayaz Gul for VOA news, Islamabad.
Syrian rights activists say rebels attacked a police post in northern Damascus Sunday.  In the gun battle with security forces that followed the attack, three rebels and four policemen were killed.
In the northern city of Aleppo, a car bomb exploded, killing 12 Syrian soldiers.
In Egypt, the controversial new governor of the historic tourism city of Luxor has resigned.  His appointment last week by Egypt's president angered tourism workers and others in Luxor.  Elizabeth Arrott reports from Cairo.
Luxor governor Adel al-Khayat announced his resignation Sunday, saying he never sought the post to begin with.
The Islamist politician, who hails from Gamaa Islamiya, the group held responsible for the 1997 massacre of 59 foreign tourists in Luxor, said he had consulted with the group's political wing before making his decision.
He said national interests transcend those of an individual or party, and that he wanted to prevent any bloodshed due to what he called a media campaign concocted against him.
Elizabeth Arrott, VOA news, Cairo.
Egypt's army chief says the military will act if a planned mass protest against the country's Islamist president turned violent.
General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is also the country's defense minister.  In a statement released Sunday, he said the armed forces have an obligation to intervene to prevent Egypt from plunging into what he called a "dark tunnel."  The statement urged the country's political opponents to resolve their differences through dialog, rather than protests.
Egyptian liberal and secular activists have called for a large anti-government protest in Cairo next Sunday.
And big changes could be approved in Washington this week.
Congress continues to try to reach agreement on major changes to the country's immigration system.
The United States Supreme Court is expected to release its ruling on same sex marriages  And President Obama will release his plan to fight climate change in a speech on Tuesday.  His plan will rely mostly on presidential orders, rather than legislation.
Top story at this hour, Nelson Mandela's condition has worsened over the past 24 hours.  He is now [said to be reported] reported to be in critical condition.  We continue to follow this story closely.  We'll immediately report on any changes in the former South African president's condition.
That the news at this hour from the Voice of America.  I'm Christopher Cruise reporting from the VOA news center in Washington.