VOA news for Friday, January 16th, 2015

Thanks to http://gandalf.ddo.jp/ for audio and text VOA news for Friday, January 16th, 2015 From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David Byrd reporting. Belgian police have killed two suspects in a shootout in the eastern city of Verviers. Special Magistrate Eric Van der Sypt told reporters the suspects had automatic weapons and that there was an intense firefight before the two men were killed. "During the search warrants in Verviers, certain suspects immediately opened fire with automatic weapons at special forces of the police that opened fire during several minutes before being neutralized.” A third man was arrested. Van der Sypt said the raid was the result of an investigation that has been underway for weeks. The magistrate said more anti-terrorist raids are underway around Brussels and Belgium has raised its anti-terrorism alert to its second highest level. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Paris to show solidarity with the French people in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks. Mr. Kerry said he wants to express the affection of the American people for France. "My visit to France is basically to share a big hug with Paris and express the affection of the American people for France and for our friends there, who have been through a terrible time.” The White House has admitted it made a mistake by not sending a high-level representative to a massive anti-terrorism march in Paris Sunday that attracted other world leaders. Meanwhile, French President François Hollande said earlier Thursday that moderate Muslims are the ones hurt worst by extremist attacks. Speaking at the Arab World Institute in Paris, he said Islam can be compatible with democracy. But he called fundamentalist Islam fanatical and intolerant. This is VOA news. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has made a surprise visit to northeastern Borno state, the center of the Boko Haram insurgency. Mr. Jonathan, who is campaigning for re-election, spoke to troops at an army barracks and met with hundreds of civilians displaced from Baga, a town captured by the insurgents earlier this month. The president has been criticized for not doing enough to push back the insurgency or to recover more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram last April. Mozambique has sworn-in a new president, but the losing side boycotted the inauguration, saying that last year's presidential election was "fraudulent.” Filipe Nyusi won a contentious election last October and was sworn-in Thursday in the capital city, Maputo, at a ceremony attended by thousands of people. But members of the opposition Renamo party boycotted the ceremony, and its members of parliament refused to take their seats this week to protest against last year's vote. Pope Francis received a roaring welcome to the Philippines on Thursday as he began a keenly awaited five-day visit to Asia's largest Roman Catholic country. The highlight of the pope's trip will be a huge open-air Mass on Sunday in Manila. Almost six million people are expected to turn out for that service. The comedy drama, Birdman, and a crime adventure, The Grand Budapest Hotel, led the nominees for this year's Oscars or Academy Awards, which were announced Thursday in Los Angeles. As VOA's Mike O'Sullivan reports, both films earned nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. The eight Best Picture nominees include Boyhood, a film about growing-up that was 12 years in the making, and the biopic Selma, about civil rights leader Martin Luther King. Foreign language nominees this year come from Poland, Russia, Estonia, Mauritania and Argentina. Oscar winners will be named in Hollywood Sunday, February 22 in a gale of celebration. That is the highlight of the year for the movie industry. Mike O'Sullivan, VOA news, Los Angeles. Indonesian search and rescue officials say divers will attempt again Friday to reach the wreckage of AirAsia Flight 8501 in the Java Sea. Bad weather and rough seas Thursday prevented divers from reaching the main section of the Airbus A320 which crashed December 28 with 162 people on board. And new rules relaxing trade and travel restrictions from the United States to Cuba will be implemented beginning on Friday. The move is a step toward the Obama administration's goals of normalizing ties with the Communist nation. For more, please visit our website. I'm David Byrd in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA..