Now�you�can�follow�VOA�on�Twitter!�As always,�VOANews.com, with its community
site USAVotes2008.com, will continue to provide you with coverage on the
transition from President Bush to President Obama.�And be sure to contact VOA
to receive your free copy of the 2009 VOA Calendar! (You may also request a
copy by sending an email to [email protected].)
�
Obama Names Agriculture, Interior Secretaries
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Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack tapped to head Department of Agriculture,
Colorado Senator Ken Salazar to head Interior Department
Barack ObamaU.S. President-elect Barack Obama has introduced his nominees for
agriculture and interior secretaries Wednesday during a press conference in
Chicago.Mr. Obama has selected former Governor Tom Vilsack of the midwestern
state of Iowa to head the Department of Agriculture, which manages support for
farmers and food safety.� Vilsack briefly ran for the 2008 Democratic
presidential party nomination but dropped out before the primary season began.�
He is a strong advocate for developing alternative energy sources, known as
biofuels, that can be made from farm products, such as corn.Mr. Obama also
named Democratic Senator Ken Salazar of the western state of Colorado to head
the Department of Interior, which manages the country's national parks.�
Salazar has pushed to limit energy exploration on land in the western United
States.�� As interior secretary, he would oversee oil and gas drilling on
government-managed land. Mr. Obama announced Tuesday that he is nominating Arne
Duncan to head the education department.� The president-elect praised Duncan's
reform work in Chicago schools and called him an independent thinker.Mr. Obama
also said improving the public education system is essential for the United
States to remain a global economic leader in the 21st century.
�
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
�
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OPEC Approves Production Cut
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Saudi Arabia says oil production will be reduced by record two million barrels
per day
Saudi Arabia says the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will cut
oil production by a record two million barrels a day after a meeting in
Algeria.� Oil ministers from OPEC members have been calling for a production
cut to help stabilize prices that have fallen more than 100 dollars a barrel
since July.� Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, center first row, pose
with delegates at the OPEC meeting in Oran, western Algeria, 17 Dec 2008Saudi
Arabia and Russia said there would be a cut in oil production.� Saudi Oil
Minister Ali Naimi announced a consensus within OPEC before a formal agreement
expected later Wednesday.Russia also intends cutbacks
Russian Deputy Premier Igor Sechin and Azeri Energy Minister Natik Aliev
announced cutbacks of a total of more than 600,000 barrels a day from Russia's
production.�The steep cut of a total of two million barrels had been expected,
and OPEC ministers had been predicting some dramatic initiative to try to stem
the steep slide in oil prices since July.OPEC president, Algerian Oil Minister
Chakib Khalil, says his group wants to implement cuts alongside non-OPEC oil
producers, in order to successfully reduce the excess supplies.Non-OPEC members
encouraged to cut production
He says that OPEC is talking to non-OPEC members Mexico, Russia and Norway in
order to get them to cut production, and that any help on their part in cutting
will add to the total effect of an OPEC cut.Crude oil for future delivery rose
less than one dollar, to less than $44 a barrel during electronic trading in
New York. Top producer Saudi Arabia noted recently that many oil producing
countries will halt production entirely if prices go under $40 because it will
no longer be profitable. The price of a barrel of crude oil has fallen by
around 70 percent since reaching a record high of more than $147 on July
11.OPEC has a history of reacting too little, too late in past economic
crises.� In 1999 and 2001, the oil cartel slashed production, but not soon
enough to stem the steep fall in prices.� This time around, it remains to be
seen if OPEC will have more clout in redressing prices to the $75 level, which
many OPEC countries say is the "fair price" for a barrel of oil.��� �
�
�
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British Troops to Complete Iraq Mission in 2009
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British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sets May 31 date for troop withdrawal
during visit to Iraq
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (L) shakes hands with Iraqi Prime Minister
Nouri al-Maliki during their meeting in Baghda, 17 Dec 2008 British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown says his country's troops will complete their mission in
Iraq by May 31, 2009, and that they will leave the country by the end of
July.Mr. Brown and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made a joint statement
in Baghdad Wednesday after a previously unannounced meeting between the two
leaders.Britain has 4,100 troops in Iraq.� Mr. Brown and Mr. Maliki said the
British forces will have "completed their tasks" in the country during the
first part of 2009.The leaders said the partnership between their two countries
will continue to "take on new dimensions" after British forces leave Iraq next
year.Britain is the second-largest contributor to the international military
coalition in Iraq after the United States.On Tuesday, Iraq's ambassador to the
U.S. urged the next U.S. administration not to abandon his country, saying that
if Iraq becomes a failed state, it will pose a threat 100 times worse than
Somalia.In a speech in Washington, Samir Sumaidaie said Iraq has turned the
tide against terrorism, arguing it is the first time al-Qaida has been defeated
on Arab, Muslim territory.Sumaidaie said that if Iraq, with its vast oil
wealth, falls into chaos, it will be a huge threat to the security of the
region and the world.The Iraqi envoy also said that his country's Arab
neighbors are coming to accept that Iraq is going to be a "successful
project."��
�
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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China Set to Help Fight Pirates Off Somali Coast
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Official Chinese media quote unnamed source as saying 'There will be a
significant peacekeeping operation' in Somalia
Official Chinese media are reporting that China will send ships to help combat
piracy off the coast of Somalia.� This comes one day after a senior Chinese
official told the United Nations Security Council China is more than ready to
help.� A Canadian Navy warship, foreground, escorts a World Food Program ship
off the coast of Somalia (file photo)The piracy in the oceans around Somalia
has become so bad that even China has been prompted to join the international
effort to try to stop it.A front-page report in the official English-language
China Daily newspaper, Wednesday, quotes an unnamed source as saying, "There
will be a significant peacekeeping operation" in Somalia. The report says China
is ready to send a naval mission to fight pirates in Somali waters.�� But it
offers no details as to the scale of the Chinese mission or when it will be
sent to Africa.The Chinese ships would be joining an international flotilla,
which includes vessels from the United States, Russia, Denmark and
Italy.Tuesday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei told the United Nations
China is "seriously considering" the mission, which would be an unprecedented
deployment of the country's navy.The official Xinhua News Agency quotes Somali
Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Jama as welcoming China's participation in the fight
against pirates.� The Somali official is also reported as saying his country
will do its best to secure the release of captured Chinese sailors and
vessels.Xinhua says Somali pirates are still holding captive one Chinese vessel
and 17 Chinese nationals.Liu Jianchao (file photo)Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesman Liu Jianchao says China supports international efforts to fight
Somali piracy.Liu says China will strengthen cooperation on the Somalia pirate
problem, in accordance with international law and U.N. Security Council
resolutions.Rampant piracy in the busy Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, near
Somalia, has become a growing problem, driving up insurance costs and forcing
ships to take alternative routes.The attacks also are targeting ships from an
increasing number of countries.� China has traditionally kept its troops close
to home, reflecting its consistent policy of non-interference in the internal
affairs of another country.� But, as China's economic clout has grown, it has
become increasingly involved in peacekeeping operations around the world,
including in Haiti and in Sudan's troubled Darfur region.
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Bangladesh Lifts 23-Month State of Emergency
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Move clears way for campaigning on streets, ahead of this month's national
election
The interim government of Bangladesh has lifted the state of emergency.� That
clears the way for campaigning on the streets, ahead of this month's national
election.� It is hoped the polls will lead to the restoration of stable
democratic governance in one of Asia's poorest and most-corrupt countries.
Bangladeshi government officials have confirmed emergency provisions have been
lifted, after being in effect for nearly two years. The move by the army-backed
interim government allows less than two weeks of political campaigning and
rallies, ahead of the December 29 election. The executive director of
Transparency International in Bangladesh, Iftekhar Zaman, is hailing the
move."This is an important step," said Zaman.� "We always wanted that the
elections should be held in a condition where people can take part freely and
fairly with enthusiasm and without any threats or intimidation to anybody."Army
troops, augmenting police and para-military forces, will be providing extra
security, beginning later this week through election day, attempting to ensure
violence-free campaigning and polling. That would be a change from most recent
elections, when the fierce rivalry between the Awami League and the Bangladesh
National Party has led to bloodshed. A new electoral code has been put in place
and a national list of voters has been compiled.� For the first time,
Bangladesh will be using an electronic voting system.Zaman says these
innovations raise hopes for a smooth election. "In general, I would expect that
the elections will be sufficiently free and free.� But we don't know, because
in Bangladesh things can change in a few hours or a few days," added Zaman.�
"We will have our fingers crossed and expect that things will go smoothly."
Bangladesh, since gaining independence from Pakistan in 1971, has gone through
a series of coups and counter-coups. The interim government, with the backing
of the military, has been in power since January, 2007, following a period of
political turmoil.�The leaders of the two main rival parties rotated as heads
of government during a 15-year period, through 2006.� Both women - former prime
ministers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia - were among the politicians arrested
during the period of emergency rule and charged with corruption. Their release
from jail and the lifting of the emergency were pre-conditions by their parties
for participating in the election.
------------------------------------------------------
Regional Body Rejects Zimbabwe's Coup Accusations
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Southern African Development Community chairman Kgalema Motlanthe dismisses
allegations but says organization will investigate
South African President Kgalema Motlanthe (file photo)The chairman of the
Southern African Development Community, SADC, has dismissed allegations made by
Zimbabwe's government that neighboring Botswana is helping Zimbabwe's
opposition prepare a coup.But, in comments in Pretoria Wednesday, SADC chairman
and South African President Kgalema Motlanthe said that since the allegations
were made officially, the organization is investigating them.Both Zimbabwe's
opposition and Botswana have denied the accusations.Mr. Motlanthe also said he
is hopeful Zimbabwe will be able to form a power-sharing government by the end
of the week.The opposition, which won legislative elections earlier this year,
and President Robert Mugabe have been unable to form a government despite a
September deal, worsening humanitarian and economic conditions.Mr. Motlanthe
said SADC was launching an urgent aid appeal to help with Zimbabwe's cholera
crisis, which has killed nearly 1,000 people.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
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UN Preparing for Influx of Congolese Refugees
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UN refugee agency says joint military action recently taken against Lord's
Resistance Army is causing thousands to flee to Sudan
The U.N. refugee agency says it is preparing for a possible new influx of
refugees heading to Southern Sudan because of the joint military action
recently taken against the Lord's Resistance Army by Congolese, Ugandan, and
Southern Sudanese forces.� A column of Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) fighters
emerge from thick bush (File photo)The military operation to flush out the
Lord's Resistance Army from camps in the remote Garamba National Park in
northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo began Sunday.
Increased fighting puts local population in state of panicThe U.N. refugee
agency reports the local population is in a state of panic.� Spokesman, Ron
Redmond says civilians fleeing the fighting reportedly are crossing the border
into Sudan.� He says a UNHCR team based in Yambio in West Equatoria, Sudan,
close to the DRC border, is unable to reach the area because of the security
situation.� Therefore, he says the agency does not know how many people are
fleeing nor what their condition may be.� "Thousands of Congolese refugees fled
to that area starting in mid-September after ferocious attacks by the LRA
[Lord's Resistance Army] in the Dungu area," said Redmond.� "Refugees reported
at the time that many of their family members and friends had been abducted,
killed and raped during the LRA attacks."
"That September group of refugees, about 5,000 in all, was temporarily settled
in nine sites around Yambio.� UNHCR and its partners have been providing them
with assistance," he added. �
UNHCR to relocate refugeesRedmond says the UNHCR is planning to start
relocating many of these refugees to a site further inland.� He says about 700�
are scheduled to be relocated from Sakure.� This group will be followed by at
least 3,000 more in coming days.He says the operation to move the Congolese
refugees is proving difficult because of the remoteness of the area.� Also,
many roads are impassible due to heavy rains.The LRA, an indigenous Ugandan
group, has been trying to overthrow the Ugandan government for the past two
decades.� During that time, nearly two million people in northern Uganda have
been displaced.� The LRA has abducted more than 10,000 children.� They have
been forced to become child soldiers, laborers or sex slaves.�� Peace talks
between the LRA and Ugandan government have broken down.� Since the rebels
moved their headquarters from southern Sudan to Orientale Province in DRC, they
have terrorized the local communities.� More than 70,000 civilians have become
internally displaced.
�
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Muslim, Jewish Groups Promote Peace During Paris Meeting
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Meeting held after march through Paris earlier this week to show outrage at
desecration of Muslim and Jewish graves
Imams and rabbis from around the world have wrapped up a three-day meeting in
Paris aimed at finding ways to promote peace in the Middle East and work more
closely together.� French Jewish and Muslim leaders attend a demonstration in
Paris, 14 Dec 2008 This was the third world meeting of the group, known as
Imams and Rabbis for Peace.� It ended with a decision by some 70 members
attending it to create of permanent committee of members of both the Jewish and
Muslim faiths, as well as Christian leaders. The Paris meeting was held at the
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, or
UNESCO.Chris Sacarabany works for the Swiss foundation Hommes de Parole, which
organized the meeting. "The aim is not to have a declaration," Sacarabany
said.� "It is to help religious leaders develop concrete actions. They want to
be involved in peace at the religious level, and they want to act through peace
through educational programs, through exchanges and so on."
Protest calls for peace between Jews, MuslimsEarlier this week, Jews and
Muslims marched through Paris to show outrage at the desecration of Muslim and
Jewish graves.The French Jewish-Muslim Friendship group organized the march,
which included local elected officials, imams and rabbis. The protest called
for peace and underlined the links between Jews and Muslims.The graves,� on the
eve of the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, were vandalized by a suspected group of
neo-Nazis who sprayed racist slurs on military gravestones in a northern France
cemetery. Muslim tombs were targeted twice in the same cemetery in the past two
years.The new interfaith committee is expected to be set up next March. It aims
to develop a network of religious institutions interested in dialogue and to
collect proposals from imams and rabbis on projects they can work on together,
notably in matters of education and in developing a booklet on how to respect
different beliefs.
------------------------------------------------------
Latin American Nations Tout Independence at Summit
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Representatives from 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries gather at
Brazilian Costa do Sauipe resort
Some of the Latin American summit participants at the Costa do Sauipe resort,
16 Dec 2008 Latin American leaders welcomed Cuba and touted their independence
from the United States during a two-day summit in Brazil that began on
Tuesday.Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez remarked on Cuba's integration into
the Rio Group Tuesday, saying the country's presence at the meeting is a strong
signal that Latin America no longer answers to the U.S.Representatives from 33
Latin American and Caribbean countries gathered at the Costa do Sauipe resort
in Bahia state.The summit, which excludes the United States and Canada, is
aimed at deepening economic and political ties in the region. Leaders also are
working to bolster integration and development as they look at ways to survive
the economic crisis.During Tuesday's meeting, several leaders blamed developing
nations for the global economic crisis. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa,
whose country recently defaulted on a foreign debt payment, called for a
stronger regional development bank to deal with the credit crunch.The heads of
state of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay convened separately Monday for
the Mercosur regional trade bloc meeting, which Cuban President Raul Castro
attended as a special guest. Mr. Castro discussed his willingness to hold talks
with incoming U.S. President-elect Barack Obama over the decades-old trade
embargo against Cuba. On Tuesday, the trade bloc was not able to agree on a
reform to eliminate dual tariffs on imported goods.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
�
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Scientists Say Universe is Expanding
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Observation is at odds with accepted notion that gravity will eventually slow
expansion of Universe
Chandra image of Milky WayAstronomers say the Universe is accelerating.� They
say the rapid expansion appears to be caused by the mysterious black space
surrounding planets and stars. The observation that the Universe is ever
expanding is at odds with the accepted notion that gravity will eventually slow
the expansion of the Universe, which was believed to be created by the Big Bang
some 13 billion years ago.� A team of astrophysicists at Harvard University's
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts says it has
found evidence that energy, generated by mysterious dark matter, is behind the
Universe acceleration. Chandra X-Ray observatory image of Bullet Cluster,
located about 3.8 billion light years from EarthUsing the US space agency
NASA's Chandra X-ray observatory, Alexey Vikhlinin and colleagues observed 86
tightly-packed galaxy clusters. Vikhlinin says in time, dark energy will edge
out the visible Universe."It's not tomorrow but it's roughly double the age of
the Universe today, and you will see very strong effects on observable
galaxies," he said.�David Spergel is an astrophysicist at Princeton University
in New Jersey."One way of thinking about this is that even nothing - empty
space - weighs something," Spergel explained.� "And because in our Universe we
have a lot of nothing, it has a major effect on our evolution and causes space
itself to accelerate."The research provides crucial evidence that dark energy
exists.� Study co-author William Forman says the findings add another dimension
to Einstein's Theories of Relativity which underlie scientists' understanding
of the Universe. "Einstein's equations apply over a truly remarkable range of
environments, including the universe as a whole, super massive black holes,�
the stretching of time required to make our GPS (global positioning satellite)
systems work," Forman said. "But despite all these remarkable successes,
conceptual changes to Einstein's vision may still be needed."The study on dark
energy are published in the December 16 Astrophysical Journal.
------------------------------------------------------
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