Did you miss any part of Barack Obama's Inauguration? Visit our Inauguration
Coverage online for the speech slideshows, blogs and more - and join the
discussion! You can also follow VOA on Twitter! As always, VOANews.com, with
its community site USAVotes2008.com, will continue to provide you with the
latest coverage.
US House of Representatives to Vote on Stimulus Plan
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Democrats have enough votes to pass bill, but President Obama wants broad
bipartisan backing for measure
House speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks as House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Rep.
Rosa DeLauro and Rep. George Miller listen during a news conference, 27 Jan
2009The U.S. House of Representatives is voting Wednesday on President Barack
Obama's $825 billion plan to stimulate the economy.Democrats in the House have
enough votes to pass the bill, but Mr. Obama wants broad bipartisan backing for
the measure. The president went to Capitol Hill Tuesday and lobbied skeptical
Republican Party members. Republicans, who are in the minority in Congress, say
the plan spends too much and does not offer enough tax cuts.Senate panel
approves more costly version of billIn other news, a key Senate panel approved
its version of the bill after adding another $70 billion in tax cuts, bringing
the total cost of the plan close to $900 billion.The House and the Senate will
have to reconcile their versions of the stimulus plan before Mr. Obama can sign
it into law. Democratic lawmakers hope to have the plan approved by
mid-February.Also on his agenda Wednesday, Mr. Obama is meeting with chief
executive officers of major companies to discuss the stimulus plan, and is to
make a statement on the economy.Some information for this report was provided
by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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US Envoy Calls for Consolidation of Gaza Cease-Fire
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US Middle East envoy George Mitchell says his visit to region is clear signal
new Obama administration is committed to pursuing Middle East peace and
stability
U.S. Middle East envoy, George Mitchell talks at the Presidential palace
following his meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, not seen, in
Cairo, Egypt, 28 Jan 2009The Obama administration's new U.S. Middle East envoy,
George Mitchell,
is calling for a strengthening of the cease-fire in Gaza. Mitchell
arrived in Israel Wednesday as part of his efforts to boost the fragile
truce. As
Israel prepared to receive the new American envoy on Wednesday, its
military launched air strikes on tunnels in southern Gaza along the
border with Egypt. The attack was yet another sign of how
fragile the cease-fire remains. Speaking in Cairo before leaving for
Israel, U.S. envoy George Mitchell called for a lasting peace deal. "It
is of critical importance that the cease-fire be extended and
consolidated and we support Egypt's continuing efforts in that regard,"
he said. In Egypt, the U.S. envoy met with President Hosni
Mubarak and discussed Egypt's efforts to secure an agreement to end
hostilities. Mitchell's mission is to hear from leaders in the region
before reporting his findings to President Barack Obama. Mitchell said the new
U.S. administration is committed to vigorously pursuing lasting peace and
stability. "The
decision by President Obama to dispatch me to come to this region less
than one week after his inauguration is a clear and tangible evidence
of this commitment," he said.Mitchell's agenda Wednesday
included meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President
Shimon Peres. On Thursday, he is due in the West Bank for talks with
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas officials say about
1,300 people - many of them women and children - were killed in
Israel's 22-day assault on militants in Gaza. Israel and some
international journalists say the figure has not been independently
verified. The fighting stopped on January 18 after both sides declared
separate cease-fires. Israel's air strikes on tunnels, a
Palestinian bomb attack that killed one Israeli soldier along the Gaza
border on Tuesday and an Israeli incursion into Gaza that followed, are
raising concerns that a full-scale assault could resume. Top Israeli security
officials met on Wednesday to discuss how far to go in their response to
attacks from militants in Gaza. Israeli
Defense Minister Ehud Barak had scheduled a visit to Washington this
week, but a senior Israeli official on Wednesday said the trip was
canceled due to the new flare-ups of violence.
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Iraqis Begin Early Voting in Provincial Elections
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Polling stations opened Wednesday for select groups of Iraqi voters, including
soldiers, police and prisoners
Iraqis have begun early voting in provincial elections seen as a key test of
Iraq's stability.Iraqi soldiers cast their votes in the country's provincial
elections in Najaf, 28 Jan 2009Polling stations opened Wednesday for select
groups of Iraqi voters, including soldiers, police and prisoners. Election
officials say the process is going smoothly.It is Iraq's first nationwide
election since December 2005, when the country voted for a new
parliament.Fifteen million Iraqis are eligible to vote in the main election
Saturday for councils in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces. About 14,400 candidates are
vying for 440 provincial council seats.
Security will be tight for Saturday's voteIraqi Sunnis largely boycotted Iraq's
last provincial elections in January 2005, handing Shi'ites and Kurds a
disproportionate share of power. No such boycott is expected this time.Iraqi
authorities plan to tighten security for Saturday's vote by banning vehicles
from the streets of major cities, closing airports and sealing Iraq's land
borders.
Militants may try to disrupt votingIraqi and U.S. officials have warned that
militants may try to disrupt the polling by staging attacks. Several
candidates have escaped assassination attempts in recent days. Iraq's three
autonomous Kurdish regions will hold provincial elections at a later date.
Iraq's government delayed voting in a fourth province, Kirkuk, indefinitely
after ethnic groups failed to agree on a power-sharing formula.The provincial
elections also represent a political test for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri
al-Maliki, who wants to boost the strength of his small Shi'ite faction ahead
of parliamentary elections later this year.
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Pakistan Denies US Missile Agreement
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Foreign Ministry issues denial after US Defense Secretary defends air strikes
on insurgent targets
USAF photo of a MQ-1L Predator UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) armed with AGM-114
Hellfire missiles, 2006 file photoPakistan's Foreign Ministry is denying that
it has an understanding
with the United States for covert missile strikes against suspected
terrorists in the country's lawless tribal regions. Pakistan's
Foreign Ministry says "there is no understanding" between Pakistan and
the United States on missile strikes by unmanned aircraft known as
Predators. Gates: US will continue pursuing al-Qaida terrorists
Officials in both countries rarely comment on the
airstrikes against targets in Pakistan. On Tuesday, U.S. Defense
Secretary Robert Gates told lawmakers that President Obama will
continue to pursue al-Qaida terrorists and that decision has been
communicated to Pakistani leaders. Secretary Gates did not
mention predator strikes specifically - but the unmanned drone attacks
are considered a key tactic against al Qaida militants in Pakistan. First
suspected missile strike under Obama administration was last week
Pakistani tribesmen indicate damages to house hit by suspected U.S. missile
strike in Zharki village, 24 Jan 2009The
first suspected missile strike under the Obama administration took
place last week. The Bush administration is believed to have conducted
about 30 such strikes in 2008. While Pakistan's Foreign
Ministry denied there is any agreement about the strikes, officials
said they are seeking closer cooperation to deal with the country's
militancy. Last year was one of the most violent on record in
Pakistan, with local estimates of nearly 8,000 people killed
in more than 2,500 attacks. Pakistan hopeful about working with Obama government
Political analyst Ishtiaq Ahmed
says Pakistani leaders are hopeful about working with the Obama
administration to counter the growing threat from militants. But
those leaders and the military still routinely denounce covert U.S.
airstrikes against suspected al-Qaida and Taliban militants, saying
they undermine the credibility of the Pakistani government. Ishtiaq
Ahmed says the public resentment against the airstrikes is real, but so
is the growing anger over the actions of the Pakistani Taliban."The
Taliban burning schools, slaughtering people, kidnapping for ransom -
they are also equally creating a concern in the wider society in
Pakistan and the region. And that concern also should not be ignored," said
Ahmed. In a letter published in The Washington Post
newspaper Wednesday, Pakistan's President Asif Zardari called for more
U.S. aid to boost Pakistan's economy, infrastructure and housing,
saying stabilizing the country begins with it becoming economically
viable. He specifically called for investment in the economy in
Northwest Pakistan - the area of the country most affected by this
year's surge in militant violence.
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Iran Urges Obama to Make Fundamental Policy Changes
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President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Tehran is willing to open communication
channels if there is real change in US policy
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks in Kermanshah, Iran, 28 Jan, 2009
Addressing thousands of people in the western city of Kermanshah, Iran's
president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran would would welcome a real and
fundamental shift from the new American administration. In a speech broadcast
on state television, Iran's hard-liner leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had a
message for America. He said he is willing to open the channels of
communication, if there is real change in U.S. foreign policy."We will wait
patiently, listen to their words carefully, scrutinize their actions under a
magnifier and if change happens truly and fundamentally, we will welcome that,"
he said.
US should apologize to Iran for misdeeds
But the Iranian leader criticized the United States, saying it should
apologize to Iran for past misdeeds and called for Washington to withdraw its
troops from around the world and stop supporting Israel.President Barack Obama
has condemned Iran's threats to destroy Israel, but said it is important to be
willing to talk to Iran. The United States broke off diplomatic relations with
Iran in 1979 after hard-line students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and
took staff hostages for more than a year.
Bush referred to Iran as 'Axis of Evil'Former U.S. President George W. Bush
took a firm stance with Iran, referring to it as an Axis of Evil in his 2002
State of the Union Address and criticized Iran over its nuclear program, saying
it is designed to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has always denied this,
stating it is a civil program for producing nuclear energy.Ahmad Al-Gurashi is
the news editor with Arabic satellite station MBC News. He said he believes
diplomacy with Iran is the only way forward."Iran, a country with a radical
regime. You have to be patient, you have to be diplomatic. Now, Barack Obama
has got the abilities and he knows he can go for it and he can get the
solution, why not? He is capable of managing Iran," he said.
Obama reaches out to Iran US President Obama gives exclusive interview to
Al-Arabiya TVPresident Obama has been reaching out to Iran. In an interview
Tuesday with the Arabic broadcaster, al-Arabiya, he sent a message of
diplomacy."If countries like Iran are willing to unclench their fist, they will
find an extended hand from us," he said.U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
said Tuesday the U.S. administration is undertaking a wide-ranging and
comprehensive survey of U.S. foreign policy options toward Iran. She said Iran
has a "clear opportunity" to demonstrate some willingness to engage
meaningfully with the international community. Any decisions in Iran's policies
require the approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's highest
authority.
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Tsvangirai Agrees to Join Zimbabwean Unity Government
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Under new government opposition leader will be prime minister and President
Robert Mugabe will remain as head of state
Morgan Tsvangirai Zimbabwean leader Morgan Tsvangirai has agreed in principle
to forming a unity government. Under the new government Mr. Tsvangirai will be
prime minister and President Robert Mugabe will remain as head of state.Morgan
Tsvangirai's decision to push ahead with a unity government provided certain
conditions are met was made after an emergency summit held in the South African
capital Pretoria.The 15-nation Southern African Development Community, SADC, in
their meeting this week gave Robert Mugabe and Mr. Tsvangirai until
mid-February to form a unity government but did not spell out what steps it
would take if they did not meet the deadline.Mr. Mugabe and Mr. Tsvangirai
signed a power-sharing deal in September after the then-ruling party lost
legislative elections for the first time since independence from Britain in
1980, but disagreements over the allocation of key ministries have stalled the
formation of a unity government.
MDC leader will face national council vote on whether to endorse unity
governmentOn Friday, Mr. Tsvangirai will face the Movement for Democratic
Change's National Council which will vote on whether to endorse their leaders
in a unity government. In the new government, Mr. Mugabe will remain not only
head of state but in charge of the army and secret service. Mr. Tsvangirai will
share the home affairs ministry which control the police.If the National
Council supports Mr. Tsvangirai, parliament will then have to vote on a
constitutional amendment to enable the unity government.Mr. Tsvangirai is then
likely to be sworn in on about February 6, along with two MDC deputy prime
ministers, and then the cabinet almost equally divided between ZANU PF and the
two factions of the MDC.
Unity government will write new constitutionThe unity government, many analysts
have said, was the only possible alternative considering the massive economic
and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe.The unity government will have to write a
new constitution and the country will then face new elections in 18 months, at
which point many believe, Mr. Mugabe, who will be 85 years old next month, will
choose to retire.Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's death toll from the cholera epidemic,
caused by broken water and sewage systems has now hit 3,000, with more than
50,000 infected.
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Burmese Boat People Arrive in Thailand Bearing Scars of Abuse, Expect
Deportation
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Despite prohibition on deporting those who would face torture, authorities
indicate group of Rohingya will be sent back to Burma
Picture taken late 2008 shows of a group of refugees on the Thai island of Koh
Sai Baed guarded by the Thai armyMore boat people from Burma have arrived in
Thailand with stories of abuse, this time allegedly commited by the Burmese
military. Despite a prohibition on deporting those who would face torture,
Thai authorities have indicated the group of Rohingya, a Muslim minority, will
be sent back to Burma.Thai police say 78 boat people are in custody after
washing ashore Tuesday in southern Thailand.
Refugees say they were beaten by Burmese navy, then releasedThe Rohingya
minorities told police and Thai media they traveled from Burma but were stopped
by the Burmese navy, beaten, and then later released. Burmese authorites have
not commented.Thai media showed images of men with severe scars and lacerations
on their backs being treated by Thai nurses.
Thai foreign ministry does not believe persecution claimDespite the evidence of
abuse, the Thai foreign ministry issued a statement saying there were no
"reasonable grounds" to believe the Rohingya were fleeing Burma for fear of
being persecuted - an indication that they would be sent back to Burma.Kitty
McKinsey is Asia spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees."I would just point out that, under the convention against torture,
which Thailand has signed, Thailand is prohibited from forcibly returning
anyone to a country where they would face torture," she said.When asked whether
the boat people would likely be tortured if returned to Burma, McKinsey said
Burma's human rights record was well-known.
Thailand denies mistreating RohingyaEarlier this month the Thai military was
accused of abusing Rohingya and towing their boats out to sea where hundreds
were left for dead. The Thai government denied the mistreatment, but later
said it would investigate.The U.N. refugee agency had sought access to 126
Rohingya in Thai military custody but the request was ignored. The military
then deported the Rohingya, with some reports saying they were towed back out
to sea.McKinsey says one welcome sign is the police and courts are handling the
78 boat people now in custody rather than the military."If Thailand truly feels
that they are illegal immigrants then they should be handled through the
immigration channels and they should certainly not be pushed back to sea by the
military," she said.The Rohingya have been fleeing Burma by the hundreds for
years, many of them headed for Malaysia to find work but ending up in
Thailand.Bangkok says about 20,000 are in Thailand illegally, creating security
problems and taking jobs from Thais.
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Australia on Health Alert Amid Worst Heat Wave in a Century
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Researchers believe warmer climate likely to have profound impact on citizens'
well-being
The Australian government is allocating more than $6 million to investigate the
potential impact of climate change on health, as the country's southeasern
corner endures its most severe heatwave since 1908. Meanwhile, a new U.S. study
says the damaging effects of a climate change have become largely
irreversible. As parts of southern Australia sizzle in the sort of conditions
not seen for a hundred years, the federal government has announced a
multi-million dollar study on the impact of climate change on health.
Warmer weather could have unhealthy consequencesLocal tourists visit Bondi
beach on hot Sydney day (Jan 2009 file photo)Researchers believe that a warmer
climate is likely to have a profound impact on the well-being of Australians,
including a higher incidence of mosquito-borne illnesses, heat exposure and
mental illness. Health authorities in northern Queensland are currently trying
to contain an outbreak of potentially fatal dengue fever, which has so far
affected about 200 people.Professor Tony McMichael from the Australian National
University says warmer weather attributed to climate change could prove to be
catastrophic to health."There are simple direct effects like the impact of
increased frequency and severity of heat waves on rates of death; particularly
in older persons," the professor said. "Of course with increased climatic
variability, more extreme events, we're going to see also more injury and death
and post-traumatic stress from things like cyclones and extreme bushfires."
Very young and old are most susceptibleThe very young and the old are
considered most susceptible to exposure to extreme heat, which can cause heart
attacks.Researchers also worry that worsening drought conditions across
Australia's arid interior could trigger more mental illness in the hard-pressed
farming community.This week, a U.S. study has shown that the damage caused by a
warming atmosphere cannot be reversed even if carbon dioxide emissions, which
are widely blamed for climate change, are completely stopped.The report by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that changes in surface
temperature, rainfall and sea level will persist for more than a thousand
years.As south-eastern parts of Australia sweated in temperatures in excess of
45 Celsius, railway lines in Melbourne buckled under the heat and demand for
air-conditioning has put the electricity system under unprecedented strain.
The very hot weather is expected to continue for several more days.
------------------------------------------------------
New Report Says Climate Change Irreversible for Next 1,000 Years
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Study says that possible climate changes include global sea level rise and
reduced rainfall in certain parts of world
A newly released study says the effects of climate change may be irreversible
for the next 1,000 years.The study published Tuesday in the journal Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences says that even if carbon dioxide emissions
are reduced the effects on global temperature could remain high for
generations. The study led by researchers at the United States National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration says that possible climate changes include
global sea level rise and reduced rainfall in certain parts of the world.
Scientists said those changes could decrease water supplies, increase the
frequencies of fires, expand deserts and affect agriculture. Kevin Trenberth,
head of climate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, says
that while scientists have known about the effects of climate change, the new
study provides new details as to the specific effects. "Scientists have known
about some irreversible aspects of climate change for some time," said Kevin
Trenberth. "But what this paper does is help to highlight these aspects and
quantify some of them, and I agree with the authors that this aspect is one
which is relatively poorly appreciated by policy makers and probably the
general public and it is a real concern." The scientists say that oceans are
currently slowing down global warming by absorbing heat, but they will
eventually release the heat back into the air leading to a greater warming of
the planet. The study says that that warming will lead to a loss of ice sheets
in Greenland and Antarctica contributing to an overall rise in sea levels.
Trenberth, who was not involved in the study, says he believes that it
underestimates global warming's effect on sea levels. "In the past five years
Greenland has been melting at rates that are higher than they consider in this
paper, and it's been adding about 0.5 millimeters per year to sea level rise,"
he said. "If Greenland melted, it would certainly take something like 850
years, or something like that, but the time to restore it would take 10 times
that long, it would take 10,000 years. And once it's gone its hard to reverse
it and put it back."Before the industrial revolution, the earth's air contained
about 280 parts per million of carbon dioxide. That number has since risen to
385 parts per million. The study says that if CO2 levels peak between 450 and
600 parts per million the results over the coming century would include a
dry-season rainfall in the Mediterranean, southern Africa and southwestern
North America comparable to what was seen during the "Dust Bowl" era of the
1930s. Patrick Michaels, a global warming skeptic with the CATO Institute, says
there has been an increase in rainfall over the southwestern United States
during the warming of the planet over the last 100 years. He says the study is
highly speculative about the effects of climate change in the future. "The
problem with this paper is that it is a speculation for 1,000 years and we
don't know what the energy structure of our society will look like 100 years
from now, probably not even 50 years from now," said Patrick Michaels. "Surely
if this paper is right it's saying that you can't do very much about warming."
But Trenberth disagrees and says that any action taken now will prevent the
effect of climate change from being worse. "There are a number of changes that
are very likely to happen that will be in practical terms not reversible, but
it doesn't mean that if we don't take actions now that it wont have effects, it
mean that if we keep going on our current path without even reducing and
lowering emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that the
climate changes would be even bigger and worse or longer lasting," he said.
Scientists say carbon dioxide emissions account for nearly half of all
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. However, other gases such as
chlorofluorocarbons and methane also contribute to global warming.
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Writer John Updike Dies at 76
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Updike was known for his fully realized descriptions of fictional characters
and wry humor, writing about sex, divorce and American life after World War II
One of America's best known writers, John Updike, has died of cancer at the age
of 76. His stories, poems, essays and novels have been widely read and admired
around the world. In this 20 May, 2006 file photo, author John Updike takes
part in a panel discussion at BookExpo America 2006 in WashingtonIn a literary
career that spanned over half a century, John Updike won many American prizes
for literature, including the Pulitzer, the National Book Award, and the
National Book Critics' Circle Award. His first published work, a collection of
poems called "The Carpentered Hen," appeared in 1958. Ultimately, Updike
published more than 25 novels, and a dozen short story collections. Most of his
stories first appeared in the New Yorker Magazine, which carried his byline 862
times. Best remembered for novels about Harry Rabbit's life
But according to Robert B. Silvers, his longtime editor at the New York Review
of Books, Updike will be best remembered for his series of novels about the
life of Harry Rabbit Angstrom, a fictional middle class car dealer in rural
Pennsylvania. "Updike himself came from the small town of Shillington, in
Pennsylvania," noted Silver. "He created this lower middle class character,
'Rabbit,' who was brought up in a bit of a fog of American life, and who every
ten years we returned to him and saw America changing - changing from the
conventional 1950s to the hippie 60s, to the business-minded 70s and 80s. In
all these books, what you find is a particular elegance [and] clarity. There's
probably no other novelist who had that range of observation." Indeed, Updike
once said that his true subject was the Protestant small town middle class. But
that did not mean his stories lacked drama. "I like middles," he once told an
interviewer. "It's in middles that extremes clash, where ambiguity restlessly
rules.""But we must remember he wrote many other novels in many different forms
and settings," Silver added. "One about colonial Africa; one about a Jewish
writer in Eastern Europe; one about women in a New England town. These were a
remarkable range of different kinds of imagined worlds." Was Updike anti-women?
Feminist critics often complained that Updike's portrayal of women was
negative, and that he concentrated too much on strong male figures. Updike
himself denied this. "You grow up with women. For one thing, you're the son of
a mother," he noted. "And I didn't have sisters but I did go to school with
girls. Then you marry some of the girls. I have two daughters. so I have been
surrounded my whole life with women. And furthermore I'm in a trade in which
women are very conspicuous. So I've always imagined that I was on fairly good
terms with the opposite sex and a great appreciator of it and its many
virtues." Among writer's favorites: The Centaur
Of all his many well-received novels, one of John Updike's own favorites was
The Centaur, a contemporary father-son conflict set within the framework of
Greek mythology It won the National Book Award in 1963. "It was quite a loving
book. I'm not sure all my books could be called loving, but certainly it is in
a way a skewered tribute to my father and his peculiar male American anguish,"
he said. "I also was amused by the trickiness of the book, the way the myths
work in and out. It was a book that wasn't east to write… but when it was done
it looked good. So it sits in my mind very happily."Several of Updike's stories
and books, including The Witches of Eastwick, were adapted for television and
motion pictures. His many poems also earned him plaudits and many admirers. But
according to Robert B. Silvers, Updike also should be remembered as a critic of
the first rank, who wrote over 70 pieces of literary and artistic criticism for
the New York Review of Books alone. "It was the question
of an expository clarity, clarity of analysis, [and] clarity of expression,
which would not only describe but would have always a rather elegant critical
edge which was never, ever too blunt, never, ever derogatory in any vulgar
sense. That was a balance he struck between brilliant description and the
intimation of a critical position," Silver expplained.Updike was modest man
Updike lived in a small Massachusetts town cherishing his privacy, his family
and his golf game, in spite of his fame. In this archival interview he was
careful not to overrate his success or appear arrogant."I have very few
complaints. I've been allowed to 'sing my song,' as it were, and I've tried to
sing it in an orderly way and have worked hard at it," Updike said. "Whatever
failings my work as a whole shows, I think, are limitations within me. And I
just couldn't do better than I've done."John Updike: poet, critic, essayist,
short story writer and Pulitzer Prize winning novelist - died of lung cancer
on January 27 at the age of 76.
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