Election officials in the U.S. state of Minnesota have started recounting votes to determine who will be the next U.S. senator from the Midwestern state.

Workers Wednesday began a hand count of nearly 3 million ballots, in a tight contest between Democrat Al Franken and incumbent Republican Norm Coleman. Heading into the recount, Coleman led by about 200 votes.

If Franken wins, the Democratic Party will have control of 59 Senate seats, just one vote away from majority control, which will allow Democrats to block any Republican effort to stop legislation from advancing to a final vote, a process known as a filibuster. Democrats could gain an additional 60th seat if the Democratic candidate wins a runoff election in the U.S. state of Georgia in early December.

Democrats moved closer to obtaining the filibuster-proof majority after Republican Senate veteran Ted Stevens of the U.S. state of Alaska lost his bid for reelection to Democrat Mark Begich in another tight race.

Stevens, who had served in the Senate since 1968, was convicted on corruption charges last month.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

Republican Senator Ted Stevens, who was convicted of corruption last month, has lost his bid for re-election - boosting the Democratic Party majority in the U.S. Senate.

Results from the November fourth race in the state of Alaska show Stevens behind Democrat Mark Begich by some 3700 votes. Election officials say only about 2500 overseas ballots are left to be counted, making Begich's lead insurmountable.

Stevens, 85, was convicted of lying about gifts he received from an oil contractor. He has served in the Senate since 1968, making him the longest serving Republican in Senate history.  

With Stevens' defeat, Democrats now control 58 seats in the Senate counting two independents who align with Democrats. That brings the party within two seats of the 60-vote majority needed to prevent Republicans from blocking legislation from advancing to a final vote, a process known as a "filibuster".

Senate races in the states of Georgia and Minnesota are still being decided.  

A recount in Minnesota begins Wednesday, in the race between incumbent Norm Coleman, a Republican, and Democrat Al Franken. Heading into the recount, Coleman leads by about 200 votes.

Georgia will hold a runoff election in early December to decide the race between Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin. Neither received the more than 50 percent of the vote required to win in that state. 

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.

The U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan says he hopes President-elect Barack Obama moves quickly to send more troops to Afghanistan, because he does not have enough force to provide security in some parts of the country. General David McKiernan spoke during a visit to Washington, and VOA's Al Pessin reports.

U.S. Army Gen. David McKiernan briefs the Pentagon press corps, on stability and security operations in Afghanistan, 01 Oct 2008

Iraqi lawmakers loyal to Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have disrupted a parliamentary debate on the U.S.-Iraq security agreement.

Iraq's parliamentary speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani adjourned Wednesday's session early after a Sadrist lawmaker clashed with guards as he approached a ruling coalition lawmaker reading aloud the text of the pact.

Other Sadrist lawmakers earlier disrupted the session by shouting.

Parliament is to meet again Thursday and is scheduled to vote on the U.S.-Iraq pact November 24.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's ruling coalition dominates the legislature, so the security agreement is expected to pass despite opposition by the Sadrists.

A White House spokeswoman said in Washington Wednesday she expects Iraq's parliament to be able to pass the pact later this week or early next week.

The agreement calls for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraqi cities by next June, and for all U.S. troops to be withdrawn by the end of 2011.

Mr. Maliki discussed the security agreement in his address to the nation Tuesday. He said he believes the agreement is a "solid start" for Iraq to regain its full sovereignty in three years.

He also said the agreement does not have any secret clauses or stipulate the establishment of permanent military bases in Iraq.

While U.S. and Iraqi officials have called the pact a firm commitment on the future of the American military presence, both sides have said that it could be renegotiated.

U.S. stock market indexes fell to five-year lows Wednesday, as the central bank cut predictions for economic growth and the big U.S. automakers continued to plead for billions of dollars in aid to avoid bankruptcy.

Federal Reserve officials say the economy probably will shrink for the last six months of this year and the beginning of 2009. And they say the jobless rate could hit 7.1 percent or higher.

The bank cut interest rates in late October and signaled it may lower interest rates again to stimulate the battered U.S. economy.

In response to the gloomy Fed report, the Dow Jones, S&P and NASDAQ stock indicators all lost more than five percent. The Dow settled below 8,000 for the first time since 2003.

Shares of Chrysler, General Motors and Ford all plummeted Wednesday as industry executives went to Capitol Hill for a second day to argue their case for a $25 billion bailout.  

Joining them was the head of the United Auto Workers union, Ron Gettelfinger, who said the car companies are in "dire" condition, and that their collapse could cost three million jobs.

Other economic reports released Wednesday say prices fell a record amount in the United States last month, while U.S. home building dropped to a record low.

The Labor Department said U.S. consumer prices were down one percent for the month - the sharpest drop in 61 years. Prices fell as energy costs dropped and merchants cut prices on cars and clothes.

Declining prices raise concerns that deflation could further slow the economy, as consumers put off purchases hoping they will get a better deal in the future.

A separate report from the Commerce Department shows housing starts falling by a sharp 4.5 percent in October. That slashes the number of new homes under construction to the lowest level (791,000) since economists began keeping such records in 1959. Falling property values and tight lending discouraged prospective home buyers.
 
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP, Bloomberg and Reuters.

European officials are working on a $164 billion aid package to help stimulate the economies of its 27 member nations.

The German Finance Ministry says Wednesday the proposal would call on each EU member to contribute the equivalent of one percent of its gross domestic product, the value of all the goods and services produced in each country.

German magazine Der Spiegel says the European Commission will approve the plan by the end of the month, and that European leaders would discuss it at a summit in December.

GM Plant

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP, Bloomberg and Reuters.

For the second time in a week, India's navy has repelled pirates in the Gulf of Aden. VOA Correspondent Steve Herman reports from New Delhi that compared to other navies patrolling the pirate-infested water, India's warships are showing no hesitation in opening fire to thwart hijackings and protect their national interests beyond its shores.

Indian naval ship Tabar

An estimated 22,000 ships pass through the Gulf of Aden every year

A new report says the world still faces a serious risk that terrorists could obtain a nuclear bomb and urges President-elect Barack Obama to make reducing that risk a top priority of U.S. security policy and diplomacy. VOA correspondent Meredith Buel has details from Washington.

The United States has opened a Food and Drug Administration office in Beijing, as the first step in an FDA strategy to try to improve food and drug safety standards
around the world. The moves comes one week after the United States placed a temporary ban on dairy products imported from China, which is still recovering from a scandal involving tainted milk. Stephanie Ho reports from Beijing.

Beijing retiree, Mr. Ling, says recent scandals involving tainted foodstuffs in China have him worried.

Ling says he cannot be so scared that he stops eating altogether. He says although some businessmen who sold tainted milk to consumers have no conscience, he generally trusts his
government and, in the end, still has to eat.

 The safety of Chinese food products also concerns the United States, which imported more than $4 billion worth of foodstuffs from China in 2007.

In recognition of the importance of China as a growing source for US edibles, the Food and Drug Administration opened its first overseas office in Beijing Wednesday. Eight FDA staffers
eventually will be based in three Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Mike Leavitt talks to reporters in Beijing, 19 Nov 2008

In 2012, the tiny northern New England state of Vermont will lose two-thirds of its electric power contracts. Its hydropower contract is up for renewal, and the nuclear reactor that now provides much of the state's energy may simply be too old to continue operation. So Vermont is turning to renewable resources, and as Erika Celeste reports from Morrisville, Vermont, trash may be one of its greatest resources.

Methane burns with an almost-invisible flame from a smokestack at the Moretown Landfill; as of December 1, the methane will be turned into energy

Generating Power by Pumping Gases

When refuse comes into the landfill, large machines tear open the bags and compress the trash into the smallest, tightest mass possible. Then water and oxygen begin to mingle with the garbage, which creates the perfect environment for the bacteria that help in the decomposition process.

The released methane is collected through a series of pipes that run under the mountain of garbage in a grid system, sort of like a series of wells.

"Instead of pumping water out of it," Badowski says, "we pump gases."

He compares the process to using a giant vacuum cleaner to suck gas from the wells.

"It brings that gas to a central location, and that's the keys to the kingdom - having that gas in one location where there's enough volume to run these power plants," he says.

Hundreds of Potential Sites Across the Country

It takes about six months for a landfill to start generating a usable amount of methane and a couple of years before enough has built up to power the electricity generators.

Tons of garbage are brought to landfills across the United States every day

Cost-Effective Energy Solution
 
While such measures may cost money up front, Dostos - now a spokesman for an energy company - believes they will pay off in the end. He points to the volatile cost of fossil fuels.

"We as a state, and I think as a nation, need to become much more energy independent," he says. "It means producing more of our own electricity, deriving and growing more of our energy in this state and this country. So we have more control over that volatility. So in the long term, I think it is going to be much more economical."

High walls of dirt shield the piles of trash at the Moretown Landfill from public view

Six teams are set to battle for three remaining berths Wednesday night in the final round of regional World Cup football (soccer) qualifying in the North, Central America and Caribbean region - also known as CONCACAF. VOA Sport Editor Parke Brewer has details.

Only the top two teams from each of CONCACAF's three four-nation groups will still be alive for a berth in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Three of the places in the final round of qualifying in 2009 have already been determined heading in the final group matches. Costa Rica and El Salvador are through from Group C and the United States is assured of advancing from Group A.

Guatemala needs to beat the U.S. soccer team in Denver, Colorado (8:00 p.m. ET kick-off) and hope Cuba upsets host Trinidad and Tobago. Otherwise, the Trinidadians advance.

Since Guatemala has to have a win, U.S. coach Bob Bradley knows the game will be tough.

US Coach Bob Bradley